Yemenia Airways announced on Sunday the resumption of civilian flights from Sana’a International Airport to Cairo and India, starting this evening. This marks the end of an eight-year suspension of flights to Cairo.
In a statement, Yemenia Airways detailed that flights from Sana’a to Cairo will operate daily, while flights to India will run twice weekly.
This development follows a recent agreement between Sana’a and Riyadh, according to the Yemeni news agency SABA.
Flights between Sana’a and Cairo had been halted since late 2016 due to ongoing conflicts and geopolitical tensions in the region.
The resumption of these flights signifies a crucial step towards reconnecting Yemen with key international destinations, enhancing travel and economic opportunities for Yemenis.
In a related development, the United Nations Security Council recently held a session to address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
Michael Imran Kanu, Sierra Leone’s representative to the UN, highlighted that Yemen is experiencing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
He noted that 18 million people require assistance, with 17.7 million facing severe food shortages. Additionally, half of the population lacks access to drinking water, and there is a rising incidence of cholera and malnutrition, particularly among children, with half of them suffering from stunting.
Kanu praised the World Food Programme’s efforts in distributing food aid across eight sectors in the Hajjah and Hodeidah provinces since May, which he believes could alleviate food deprivation and help develop strategies to meet the population’s needs.
Kanu emphasized the necessity for increased humanitarian efforts and urged donor countries and international agencies to finance Yemen’s 2024 humanitarian response plan.
He noted that current international aid levels are critically low, exacerbating the suffering of the Yemeni people.
