All sides should ensure protection of civilians in Yemen: EU

War in Yemen is having an alarming impact on civilians, the European Union said on ‎Wednesday, condemning attacks on hospitals, schools and homes.

The effect, particularly on children, was “reaching alarming proportions and exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation,” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and humanitarian aid commissioner Christos Stylianides said.

“The attacks on hospitals and medical facilities by warring factions as well as the deliberate targeting and destruction of private homes, education facilities and basic infrastructure cannot be tolerated,” they said in a statement.

They added: “We call on all parties to ensure the protection of civilians and avoid the direct targeting of civilian infrastructure.”

Mogherini and Stylianides urged all sides to give unrestricted access to humanitarian aid workers and said the EU would continue to support all efforts to bring the Yemeni parties back to the negotiating table.

The International Committee of the Red Cross complained on Tuesday that members of the coalition were preventing a Red Cross plane from delivering medical supplies.

However, since the beginning of military campaign, the coalition repeatedly ‎stressed that it is allowing aid and assistance into Yemen but asked for humanitarian organizations to ‎coordinate with them first.

An explosion at a dairy in Yemen’s Hodaida port killed at least 25 workers, medical sources said, with conflicting accounts as to who was behind the blast.