The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) mission in Yemen has confirmed the safety of all its personnel, including the crew of its aircraft at Sanaa Airport. The organization did not comment on circulating reports regarding the aircraft being prevented from departing or being detained at the airport.
In a brief statement, the mission stated, "All ICRC staff, including the aircraft crew, are safe and their well-being has been verified." The ICRC added that it "does not intend to make any further statements at this time."
The ICRC's clarification follows reports and official statements alleging that the aircraft was prohibited from taking off from Sanaa International Airport.
The Yemeni government, through its Minister of Information, Muammar Al-Eryani, revealed that Houthi militias had detained an ICRC aircraft and another United Nations aircraft on Monday morning, preventing them from leaving Sanaa International Airport.
According to Al-Eryani, the Houthi group kept the two aircraft on the airport runway concurrently with the arrival of an Iranian plane from Tehran carrying a Houthi delegation. He considered that the militias used the aircraft as "cover and shield" to facilitate the landing of the Iranian plane, an action he stated endangers the safety of humanitarian and UN crews and violates the regulations governing the operations of international organizations.
