(MENAFN- The Peninsula) An Iranian aid ship docked yesterday in Djibouti, where its cargo will be inspected by the United Nations before being moved to conflict-torn Yemen, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported.
In Yemen, meanwhile, warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition pounded Shia rebels across three Yemeni cities, as Riyadh reported the death of a Saudi child from cross-border fire.
"The ship docked a few minutes ago in Djibouti," Fars said. "The ship entered Djibouti waters yesterday and after inspection by the international organisation will head towards Yemen."
Tehran agreed this week to allow an international inspection of the vessel, the Iran Shahed, averting a potential showdown with Saudi-led forces who are enforcing searches of ships entering Yemeni ports to stop arms reaching Houthi rebels.
Tehran has rejected Saudi accusations it is arming Houthi fighters.
The ship had originally been bound for the Yemen's Red Sea port of Hodaida, which is controlled by the Houthis, but its aid cargo will now be delivered by the World Food Programme, the UN agency said yesterday.
"The cargo of the ship will be handed over to WFP in Djibouti and will be transferred to WFP-chartered vessels for shipment to the Yemeni ports of Hodaida and/or (the southern port city of) Aden," WFP spokeswoman Abeer Etefa said.
Etefa said the WFP had been told the 2,500 tonne cargo included supplies of rice, flour, canned fish, medicine, water, tents and blankets.
Huge explosions rocked the outskirts of the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, after yesterday's air strikes. There were also raids on second city Aden in the south and Marib province east of the capital.
In all, 10 rebel and allied targets were hit in and around Sana'a.
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