Yemeni relief cmte calls for "true truce" to deliver relief aid

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) The Yemeni Government's Higher Committee for Relief has called for a "true truce" in Yemen to deliver humanitarian aid to the afflicted areas.

Yemeni Minister of Transport Badr Basalma made the call in a press conference in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

Basalma focused on Aden that has come to be "an afflicted city deprived of adequate humanitarian aid" for the siege by the Houthi militants and others loyal to former president Ali Abdulllah Saleh.

He noted that the committee is only a relief coordinator, that does not deliver direct aid.

The minister accused Houthis of "capitalizing on the former (five-day) ceasefire to expand and seize relief supplies." Meanwhile, arrangements are underway to transfer home about 20,000 Yemenis stranded out of the country, he said.

So far 8,000 of these have returned home, he said.

A five-day humanitarian truce was in place as of May 12.

The Saudi-led coalition said the Houthis and pro-Saleh militants violated the ceasefire, launching attacks on the Saudi border territories.