Aden---The Red Cross warned Tuesday of a "catastrophic" situation in Yemen's main southern city Aden, as forces loyal to the president battled Iran-backed Shiite rebels in the streets.
The Huthi rebels and their allies made a new push on a port in the central Mualla district of the city, but were forced back by militia supporting President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, witnesses said.
Naval forces of the Saudi-led coalition, which has carried out nearly two weeks of air strikes in support of Hadi, shelled rebel positions across the city, the witnesses said, though the coalition denied launching a naval combat operation.
International Committee of the Red Cross spokeswoman Marie Claire Feghali said the humanitarian situation across Yemen was "very difficult... (with) naval, air and ground routes cut off."
The situation in Aden was "catastrophic to say the least".
"The war in Aden is on every street, in every corner... Many are unable to escape," she said.
General Ahmed Assiri, spokesman for the coalition, however, said many parts of the city remained "stable".
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said the situation was "worsening by the day".
Medics in Aden had "not received large numbers of casualties over the past few days... due to the difficulties faced in trying to reach a hospital," said MSF's Marie-Elisabeth Ingres.
MSF has a team of 140 local staff and eight expatriates at a hospital in Aden.
"Our priority is to find a way to send a supporting medical team," Ingres told AFP, adding a team was waiting in Djibouti "for a green light from the coalition".
Assiri said later that permits had been issued for a boat carrying aid and medics from Djibouti.
The Red Cross hopes to deliver to Sanaa on Wednesday 16 tonnes of medical aid on a plane loaded in Jordan. Another plane carrying twice as much could follow the next day.
- Death toll mounts -
Two students were killed and several others wounded Tuesday when a rocket hit a school near Al-Hamza military base in the southwestern Ibb province, an official said, adding it was unclear if the school was hit in an air strike or by Huthi artillery.
Rebel-controlled Saba news agency accused coalition warplanes of hitting the school.
Coalition strikes killed at least eight Huthis north of Aden, a military source said, as raids also targeted air defence posts in Taez province, as well as Al-Sadrayn military base in Daleh province.
On Monday night, Saudi-led warplanes struck the rebel-held Al-Anad air base north of Aden, a general said, while to the east, Al-Qaeda's Yemen franchise sought to tighten its grip on Hadramawt province.
AFP
