Yemen-bound Aid Ship Docks in Djibouti
By Aiswarya Lakshmi
Saturday, May 23, 2015
An Iranian ship carrying humanitarian aid for war-ravaged Yemenis has arrived in Djibouti. It will be inspected by the United Nations so its cargo can be shipped to conflict-torn Yemen.
It now remains to be seen whether the ship will be boarded and inspected before continuing, or whether the Tehran-supplied humanitarian aid will be offloaded.
Iran’s Ambassador to Djibouti and Ethiopia Ali Bahraini welcomed the people on board the aid ship, dubbed Nejat (Rescue), upon their arrival in the African country.
This is the first Iranian relief cargo for the Yemeni people which has arrived in Djibouti, Bahraini told reporters, adding that the first plane carrying humanitarian aid destined for the crisis-hit Arab country is also scheduled to land in the African country within hours.
The Iran Shahed vessel, carrying 2,500 tonnes of food and medical supplies, was previously bound for the Yemeni port of Hodaida before Iran agreed on Wednesday to allow the inspection by U.N. officials.
Reports suggest that a United Nations-chartered vessel is available to transport the aid to its destination port of al-Hudaydah in Yemen. No official statements have yet been released indicating the intention of the Iran Shahed or its cargo.