First aid plane in three weeks carrying medical supplies reaches Yemen

AVA- The first UN plane for almost a month to bring in vaccines and other medical supplies for Yemen has landed in the rebel-held capital of Sanaa.
 
It follows a three-week long blockade of aid supplies by Saudi Arabia, put in place after a rebel rocket attack on the Saudi capital Riyadh.
 
The aircraft was one of four planes which landed in Sanaa after the city's airport was repaired following a Saudi aerial strike.
 
The other three aircraft carried aid staff working with the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
 
The UN humanitarian affairs office said on Friday it was given clearance by a coalition led by Saudi Arabia to resume flights into Sanaa.
 
The arrival of the plane means that more than 15 tonnes, or 1.9 million doses, of vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus and other preventable diseases will be available for distribution to thousands of people in need.
 
The World Health Organisation said earlier this week that diphtheria was spreading as a result of insufficient vaccination.
 
More than 2,000 people have died of cholera in Yemen this year, in addition to the 8,600 who are confirmed to have died in the conflict between the Saudi-backed government and the rebels since 2015.