The Red Cross has today announced that it is halting all movement of its employees and equipment across Yemen, after a gunman ambushed one of their convoys north of the capital city of Sanaa, killing two workers. One died at the scene and the other died of his injuries in the hospital.
The Red Cross said they were unsure who carried out this latest attack, but that it was the latest in a number of “security incidents” in recent months. This is common to a lot of groups with the ongoing Saudi war against the Shi’ite Houthis fueling violence nationwide.
The aid group has 250 workers nationwide in Yemen, and they always travel in marked vehicles, an effort to keep them being targeted by the various belligerent forces in the nation. This appears to only be working to a limited extent, however, as smaller factions seem fine attacking anyone and everyone.
With the war, and the ongoing Saudi naval blockade creating a dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, attacks against aid workers are limiting aid operations just when they’re needed most. The Red Cross will likely not halt operations for long, though this attack may force them to limit transport operations or arrange security from the rebel Houthis. Using the Houthis for security, however, might make them a target for airstrikes.