An Iranian plane carrying food for Yemen was prevented from landing in Djibouti, where the UN has a relief hub, official media said on Saturday.
The state run IRNA news agency quoted a Red Crescent official of the Iranian regime as saying: “Despite coordination with the United Nations and the World Food Program, the plane was not granted permission to land in Djibouti,”
The plane was now in Shabahar, in southeastern Iran, awaiting “the authorisation of the foreign affairs ministry” of Djibouti, the unnamed official said.
An Iranian boat carrying aid for Yemen docked late Friday in the Horn of Africa port of Djibouti.
The cargo had been handed over to the WFP in Djibouti and was currently being offloaded, WFP spokeswoman Abeer Etefa said on Saturday.
The ship had initially been heading for the Yemeni port of Hodeida but had to change course after warnings from the United States and the Saudi-led coalition that has been pounding the Al Houthi militia in Yemen.
The Iranian regime has been arming and funding the Al Houthi forces in Yemen. A Saudi-led coalition has waged an air war against the Al Houthis since March 26 in an effort to restore the authority of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who has fled to Riyadh after the Houthis overran most of the country.
