ADEN, Yemen, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations (UN) on Wednesday suspended all humanitarian flights to Yemen following Israeli airstrikes that rendered Sanaa International Airport inoperable, according to UN and Houthi officials.
A UN source in Sanaa told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that "an internal UN circular had ordered the immediate suspension of all humanitarian air transport operations in Yemen."
"Humanitarian flights to and from Aden International Airport in the country's southern part may tentatively resume on Thursday, pending necessary approvals from relevant authorities," the source said. "However, all flights to and from Sanaa airport will remain suspended until further notice."
The suspension comes following Tuesday's airstrikes by Israeli warplanes on Sanaa International Airport, which is controlled by the Houthi group. The attack has completely disabled the facility that serves as a critical lifeline for humanitarian operations in the war-torn Arab country.
In remarks to Houthi-run al-Masirah TV on Wednesday, the director general of the Sanaa airport, Khaled Al-Shaif, said: "All flights to and from the airport have been suspended until further notice after the airport was destroyed by the Israeli aggression airstrikes." ■
