This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/20/yemen-crowd-crush-reportedly-leaves-dozens-killed-or-injured

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Yemen crowd crush: at least 85 dead at event to distribute money Yemen crowd crush: at least 85 dead after Houthi gunfire sparks panic
(about 5 hours later)
Incident in Sana’a took place as hundreds gathered to receive financial aid in event reportedly organised by merchants Merchants were handing out money from Ramadan when rebels tried to control crowd by shooting in the air, say witnesses
A crowd crush at an event to distribute financial aid in Yemen’s capital killed at least 85 people while dozens more suffered injuries, a Houthi official has said. A crowd apparently scared by gunfire and an electrical explosion ran in panic at an event to hand out money during Ramadan in Yemen’s capital late on Wednesday, with the resulting crush killing at least 78 people and injuring at least 73 others, according to witnesses and Houthi rebel officials.
The crush took place on Wednesday in the Old City in the centre of Sana’a when hundreds of people gathered at the event organised by merchants, according to the Houthi-run interior ministry. The tragedy was Yemen’s deadliest in years that was not related to its long-running war, and came ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan this week.
The ministry’s spokesperson blamed the disaster on the “random distribution” of funds without coordination with local authorities. Armed Houthis fired into the air in an attempt at crowd control, apparently striking an electrical wire and causing an explosion, according to two witnesses, Abdel-Rahman Ahmed and Yahia Mohsen. That sparked a panic, and people including many women and children, began running, they said.
At least “85 were killed and more than 322 were injured”, a Houthi security official told the AFP news agency. Video posted on social media showed dozens of bodies, some motionless, and others screaming as people tried to help. Separate footage of the aftermath released by Houthi officials showed bloodstains, shoes and victims’ clothing scattered on the ground. Investigators were seen examining the area.
Security forces were deployed heavily around the area as people flocked to the scene hoping to locate relatives but they were barred from accessing the site. The crush took place in the Old City in the center of Sana’a, where hundreds of poor people had gathered for a charity event organised by merchants, according to the Houthi-run interior ministry.
The latest tragedy to strike the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country came days ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. People had gathered to receive about $10 each from a charity funded by local businesses, witnesses said. Wealthy people and businesses often hand out cash and food, especially to the poor, during Ramadan.
Witnesses said armed Houthis shot in the air in an attempt to control the crowd, apparently striking an electrical wire and causing it to explode. That sparked panic and people began to run, they said. Abdel-Khaleq al-Aghri from the interior ministry blamed the crush on the “random distribution” of funds without coordination with local authorities.
The Houthi-run interior ministry said it had detained two organisers and an investigation was under way. Motaher al-Marouni, a senior health official, said 78 people were killed, according to the rebels’ al-Masirah satellite TV channel. At least 73 others were injured and taken to the al-Thowra Hospital in Sana’a, according to hospital deputy director Hamdan Bagheri.
Civil war broke out in Yemen in 2014, when Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized Sana’a, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene the following year to prop up the internationally recognised government. The rebels quickly sealed off a school where the event was being held and barred people, including journalists, from approaching.
Fighting has eased dramatically since a six-month, UN-brokered truce last year, even after it expired in October. But the war unleashed what the United Nations describes as one of the world’s worst humanitarian tragedies. The interior ministry said it had detained two organisers and an investigation was under way.
More than two-thirds of the population lives below the poverty line, according to the UN, including government employees in Houthi-controlled areas who haven’t been paid civil servant salaries in years. The Houthis said they would pay about $2,000 in compensation to each family who lost a relative while the injured would get about $400.
Over 21.7 million people – two-thirds of the country – need humanitarian assistance this year, according to the UN. Yemen’s capital has been under the control of the Iranian-backed Houthis since they descended from their northern stronghold in 2014 and removed the internationally recognised government.
That prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 to try to restore the government.
The conflict has turned in recent years into a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, killing more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians and creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.
More than 21 million people in Yemen, or two-thirds of the country’s population, need help and protection, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Among those in need, more than 17 million are considered particularly vulnerable.
In February the UN said it had raised only $1.2bn out of a target of $4.3bn at a conference aimed at generating funds to ease the humanitarian crisis.
With Reuters