Sanaa (AFP)

Two Siamese babies in critical condition in Yemen were evacuated to Jordan on Saturday, where they are due to undergo separation surgery, Unicef ​​said in a statement.

Born in mid-December in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, a poor country on the Arabian Peninsula where health services have been devastated by war, the two children were in critical condition.

Yemen's capital has been controlled since 2014 by the Houthi rebels, who fight the forces of the government recognized by the international community and supported by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

Sana'a airport is closed to civilian traffic due to an air blockade imposed by the coalition.

And the conflict has devastated health services, already weakened in this country.

The UN is the only organization to operate flights from Sanaa.

"Today (Saturday), the twins left Sana'a aboard a medical plane accompanied by their parents," said the UN agency responsible for children in its statement.

"After weeks of organization, we are happy that the twins are now in a hospital in Jordan to be operated," said Philippe Duamelle, representative of Unicef ​​in Yemen.

"They are now in the hands of a team of expert surgeons. We hope to see them return to Sanaa soon in good health," he added.

The Al-Sabein hospital where the babies were taken care of and the authorities in Sana'a had launched an emergency appeal to finance their operation.

Their transfer and operation were finally made possible thanks to private donations to Unicef.

In February 2019, Siamese babies in dire straits died two weeks after being born in Sanaa.

According to the UN, the war in Yemen caused the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, marked in particular by hunger and epidemics.

© 2021 AFP