SAUDI ENVOY SLAMS RUSSIAN PROPOSAL

Abdullah Al-Moalami, Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the UN. (Photo: AP)

New York, 17 Jumadil Akhir 1436/6 April 2015 (MINA) – Abdullah Al-Moalami, Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the UN, said that Russia’s call for a humanitarian pause in Yemen was aimed at hindering a draft resolution by Gulf states and Jordan that is being negotiated by the UN Security Council.

“We always provided the necessary facilities for humanitarian assistance to be delivered,” Al-Moalami was quoted as saying in an Al Arabiya report quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

“We have cooperated fully with all requests for evacuation,” he added, echoing comments made earlier by Brig.-General Ahmad Al-Assiri, a consultant in the defense minister’s office.

The International Committee of Red Cross, meanwhile, said it has received approval from the Saudi-led coalition to bring in vital medical supplies and aid workers to Yemen.

“We have received permission from the coalition for two planes now, one carrying supplies and one with staff,” ICRC spokeswoman Sitara Jabeen said in Geneva.

The ICRC hoped that the aircraft could land on Monday in Sanaa, she said. (T/P001/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)