Saudi-led Arab Coalition announces aid on the way to Yemen’s Socotra

The Arab Coalition’s spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki said that humanitarian aid will be reaching Socotra Friday morning after it was severely affected by Cyclone Mekenu.

In a phone call with Al Arabiya, al-Maliki said that Arab Coalition forces are working with the Yemeni army and governmental entities to ensure that aid reaches the affected areas, adding that severe weather conditions following the cyclone caused some delay.

Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen, Mohamed al-Jaber, said that they have begun fixing the damages as well as starting the clean-up process caused by Mekenu in Socotra.

“The Saudi Reconstruction Program team in Yemen in the Socotra governorate is working with local authorities to handle the damage resulting from Cyclone Mekenu by opening up roads and helping those affected until humanitarian aid arrives which has been delayed due to weather conditions,” al-Jaber tweeted.

“Saudi Joint Forces aircrafts loaded with tens of thousands of tons of relief and medical supplies provided by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center are preparing to aid our brothers in the Yemeni Socotra governorate as soon as flying conditions are better,” he added in another tweet.

Cyclone Mekunu hit Socotra on Wednesday and Thursday, leaving about 19 people missing and several sunken ships. The Yemeni Minister of Fisheries, Fahd Kafain, said that the number of sunken ships rose to seven, four of wish were fishing boats. He added that 70 percent of the governorate has no cellular network.