Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 7 august 2019

Groups: Yemen airport closure ‘death sentence’ for thousands

By SAMY MAGDY an province, killing at least
Associated Press 20 troops and setting off
CAIRO (AP) — The Saudi- hours-long clashes with a
led coalition’s closure of Yemeni force trained by
the airport in Yemen’s cap- the United Arab Emirates,
ital, Sanaa, has prevented a member of the Saudi-led
thousands of sick civilians coalition.
from traveling abroad The attack came a day af-
for urgent medical treat- ter the main southern city
ment, two international aid of Aden was shaken by
groups said in a joint state- double attacks. The Houthis
ment. fired a ballistic missile at a
According to the Norwe- military parade of the same
gian Refugee Council and UAE-trained militia known
CARE, the Sanaa airport’s as the Security Belt while
three-year closure has suicide bombers blasted a
amounted to a “death police station in another of
sentence” for many sick the city’s neighborhoods.
Yemenis. Houthi rebel fighters fire their weapons in the air as they take off to a battlefront following a At least 51 people were
The two groups appealed gathering aimed at mobilizing more fighters for the Houthi movement, in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, killed in the double at-
late Monday to Yemen’s Aug. 1, 2019. tacks — the deadliest day
warring parties to come to Associated Press in Aden in nearly two years.
an agreement to reopen sure is condemning thou- power. of Sadaa, which borders The city has been the seat
the airport for commercial sands more to a premature The stalemated war has Saudi Arabia. And in the of Yemen’s internationally
flights to “alleviate humani- death,” said Mohammed claimed tens of thousands past 10 days, at least 19 ci- recognized government.
tarian suffering caused by Abdi, the Norwegian Refu- of lives, thrust millions to vilians died from fighting in Also on Tuesday, Yemeni
the closure.” gee Council’s director in the brink of famine and different parts of Yemen. officials said flood waters
The Saudi-led coalition, Yemen. spawned the world’s most Also, militant groups ap- swept through refugee
backing Yemen’s interna- “There is no justification for devastating humanitarian pear to have stepped up camps in the Red Sea
tionally recognized gov- preventing very sick civil- crisis. attacks in Yemen, the U.N. province of Hodeida amid
ernment, has been at war ians from leaving the coun- In recent days, fighting rights office said. Al-Qai- heavy rainfall.
with the rebels, known as try to get life-saving medi- has flared up between the da’s branch in Yemen and The officials said dozens of
Houthis, since 2015, and cal treatment,” he added. Houthis and government the country’s Islamic State tents were flooded in the
has imposed a blockade The Iran-backed Houthis forces. group affiliate have prof- district of Khoukha, leav-
on ports that supply Houthi- overran Sanaa in 2014, The U.N. Human Rights Of- ited from the chaos of the ing hundreds of refugees
controlled areas. prompting the Saudi-led fice said Tuesday that at civil war. stranded. Photos circulat-
“As if bullets, bombs and coalition to intervene the least 14 civilians were killed Last week, al-Qaida mili- ed online showed muddy
cholera did not kill enough following year to try to re- in a July 26 attack on a mar- tants targeted a military water sweeping away cars
people, the airport clo- store the government to ket in the northern province camp in the southern Aby- and belongings.q

Taliban say differences resolved on US troop withdrawal

By CARA ANNA The Taliban have kept up concluded their combat
KATHY GANNON a near-daily rate of deadly mission in 2014, but the
Associated Press attacks, despite holding American and allied troops
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) several rounds of peace continue to train and build
— The United States and talks with Khalilzad since his the Afghan military. Sepa-
the Taliban have resolved appointment almost a year rately, U.S. forces also assist
differences in peace talks ago. The Taliban now con- Afghan troops in airstrikes
over the withdrawal of trol roughly half of Afghani- and raids on the Taliban
American troops from Af- stan and are at their stron- and against the Islamic
ghanistan and guarantees gest since 2001, when the State group’s affiliate in Af-
from the insurgents that U.S.-led invasion toppled ghanistan.
they will cut ties with other their government after it Also on Tuesday, the Tal-
extremist groups, a Taliban harbored al-Qaida leader iban called on fellow Af-
official said Tuesday. Osama bin Laden. ghans to boycott next
The U.S. side did not im- The U.S. and the Taliban month’s presidential elec-
mediately provide details now appear to be closing tion and warned them to
about the latest round of A roadside bread seller counts money as he waits for customers in on an agreement under stay away from rallies “that
talks held in Qatar, where at a market in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2019. which U.S. forces would could become potential
the Taliban maintain a po- Associated Press withdraw in exchange for targets.”
litical office. But Zalmay were continuing discus- nearly 18-year war — Amer- guarantees that Afghani- The Taliban dismissed the
Khalilzad, the American en- sions on Tuesday in Doha. ica’s longest conflict — has stan would not become Sept. 28 election, which
voy who has been leading The Taliban official spoke made intra-Afghan talks a haven for other terrorist has been delayed this year
the talks since they began on condition of anonymity and a permanent cease- groups. over security and organiza-
late last year, tweeted that because he was not au- fire priorities in the negotia- Khalilzad has said he is hop- tional concerns, calling it
they had made “excellent thorized to discuss details of tions. But the Taliban have ing for a final agreement a “sham.” President Ashraf
progress.” the negotiations. continued to sideline the by Sept. 1 that would allow Ghani, who is seeking a
The two sides have been Khalilzad, who has been Kabul government, dismiss- the roughly 20,000 U.S. and second term in office, is
meeting for the last two tasked with finding a ing it as a U.S. puppet and NATO forces to leave. among more than a dozen
days, and technical teams peaceful resolution to the refusing to recognize it. The U.S. and NATO formally candidates. q