At least 78 dead in Yemen in a stampede during the distribution of humanitarian aid

At least 78 people died and dozens were injured after a stampede during the distribution of humanitarian aid.

The toll was confirmed by the director of the Health Department in Sana’a, Mutahar al Maruni, who said that among the injured, 13 were in critical condition, according to what he told the Al Masirah television channel.

The spokesman of the Houthi Ministry of Interior, General Abdul Kaliq al-Ajri, assessed this incident as “a tragic and painful accident in which dozens of people died due to a stampede during the random distribution of monetary amounts by some traders without coordination with the Ministry”, according to the aforementioned chain. .

Al Ajri, which said the injured were taken to hospitals, announced that two traders had been arrested, while the Public Ministry “immediately mobilized” to investigate the incident.

The president of the Supreme Political Council established by the Houthis in Yemen, Mahdi al Mashat, ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the incident, which will consist of the ministries of interior, security, intelligence, justice and the prosecution.

Al Mashat, who expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, stressed the importance of taking immediate measures to clarify the causes of the event, reports the Yemeni news agency.

Yemen’s war, launched in 2015, pits the internationally recognized government, now represented by the Presidential Leadership Council and backed by an international coalition led by Saudi Arabia, against the Iran-backed Houthis. The Houthis control the capital Sana’u and parts of the north and west of the country.