Turkish Red Cresent sends food aid packages to Yemen

Turkey sent a food aid package to Yemen, which has been locked in a civil war since 2014 when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, an official said Sunday.

The Turkish Red Cresent official Mehmet Sancar told Anadolu Agency correspondent that 37 tonnes of flour and 1,500 food aid packages including basic needs such as "rice, olive oil, sugar and pasta" were sent to those in need at Yemen's al-Mahwit district.

Sancar stated the food aid packages were the first humanitarian aid to reach the province that is sieged under Houthi rebels and ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh. He said the food aid packages reached those in need in the province via al-Mahwit's local administration.

In 2014, the Houthis overran capital Sanaa and other parts of Yemen, forcing members of the country's internationally-recognized government to temporarily flee to Saudi Arabia.

The following year, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a major air campaign aimed at reversing Houthi military gains and shoring up Yemen's Saudi-backed government.

Turkey conducts aid and infrastructure projects in the conflict-torn country for more than two years through cooperation between TIKA [Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency], Turkish Red Crescent, Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate and IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation.