Battles of Aden .. UN concern and warnings of worsening humanitarian situation

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over the violent clashes in Aden, southern Yemen, and urged parties to the conflict to cease hostilities.

This comes amid warnings of the worsening of the humanitarian situation, in light of the blackout of electricity and water. The death toll from fighting between Yemeni government forces and UAE-backed forces rose to 13 in 24 hours, including eight civilians killed when shells hit residential neighborhoods.

Guterres said in a statement that the conflict in Yemen can be resolved only through a political solution. He urged all parties to cease hostilities and ensure compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law. He also called on them to engage in a comprehensive dialogue to resolve differences and address the legitimate concerns of all Yemenis.

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed grave concern about the humanitarian situation in Yemen's Aden Governorate.

Two hundred thousand people in Aden have lost access to clean water as a result of recent events in the city, the committee said in a series of tweets on Twitter. It called for ensuring the access of the wounded and sick to health facilities and the protection of health-care workers.

For its part, the International Rescue Committee said it was forced to suspend its activities in Yemen because of violent clashes and arbitrary arrests in Aden, stressing in a statement on its website that the ongoing fighting in the city is hampering the work of humanitarian organizations, and causing serious damage to the infrastructure in the region.

In the same context, warned the two institutions of electricity and water in the Yemeni interim capital Aden, from a complete halt to their services due to the fighting since Wednesday. Power plants are at risk of shutdown due to running out of fuel, the Electricity Corporation said in a statement.

She added that the diesel trucks could not move from the Aden refinery in Brega to power stations in the cities of Shaab, Mansoura and Khor Maksar because of the clashes and the complete closure of roads.

The electricity company stressed that the remaining diesel generating stations will be out of service in the coming hours, which will increase the hours of extinguishing than they are, and will affect the work of hospitals, which are packed with hundreds of patients and injured.

For his part, the Director of the Aden Water Foundation Fathi Al-Saqqaf stumbled pumping water to four districts in Aden, namely, Sira, Khor Maksar, Mualla, and Tawahi.

This coincides with the harsh conditions of most families in Aden, due to the intensification of the fighting and the difficulty in obtaining their basic needs due to the closure of shops.

Commitment to homes
For its part, the Ministry of Interior in the Yemeni government called on civilians in Aden to remain in their homes and away from the sites of armed confrontations between government forces and gunmen of the Transitional Council.

The Yemeni News Agency (Saba) quoted an official source in the ministry as asserting that the state will not tolerate its duty to protect civilians and property and provide security and stability in Aden.

The source renewed the call of the Ministry of Interior for all armed groups, which he described as outside the law and order, to arbitrate reason and withdraw from the streets and stop tampering with the lives of civilians and public and private property and disturb public tranquility.

In the meantime, the Yemeni Minister of Defense and Army Chief of Staff confirmed in a joint telegram the military establishment behind President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, and considered what is happening in Aden coup against state institutions.

The Minister of Defense and the Chief of Staff stressed that the army will strongly hit anyone begging him to compromise Yemen's security and unity.

On the field level, local sources in Aden reported renewed clashes in the city of Khor Maksar between government forces and UAE-backed forces. She also noted that fierce fighting broke out between the Presidential Protection Forces and the UAE-backed forces in the city of "Dar Saad" as well.

Pictures circulated by activists on the Internet showed distress for wounded people who fell during the clashes in Brega district of Aden province. The photos showed that it was difficult to reach the wounded, as clashes continued between the UAE-backed security belt forces and Yemeni government forces.

Government control
Local sources said the presidential protection forces took control of large parts of the Crater area in the city of Aden, amid a decline in the forces of the UAE-backed Transitional Council.

Photos circulated by activists of the commander of the First Brigade to protect the presidency and leaders loyal to the legitimate government as they wander through the markets and streets of the city this morning.

Other images also showed Yemeni government forces firing on the Hadid mountain camp, the largest reservoir of forces loyal to the UAE-backed Transitional Council.

Inside the camp is the 1st Infantry Brigade, led by Aidroos al-Zubaidi, and the 1st Brigade, Saaqa of the security belt.

In the same context, sources told the island that the coastal defense forces of the legitimate government of Yemen took control of the Abyan coastline from the direction of the Arish area in Aden.

This line is considered the most important entrance to half of the districts of the province of Aden, namely the directorates of Khor Maksar, Crater, Mualla and Tawahi.

Local Yemeni sources said that the security belt forces withdrew from the perimeter of the Aden refineries after clashes with the facilities guard forces.

The deteriorating situation in Aden and the escalation of clashes have diverted flights from Aden Airport to Sayun Airport in Hadramout, as well as the closure of most shops and interests and disruption of population movement.