Al-Kathiri Receives ICRC Delegation

Mr. Ali Abdullah Al-Kathiri, Acting President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and Chairman of the National Assembly, received today, Wednesday, in his office a delegation from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), led by Mr. Jörg Muntané, the head of mission, and his deputy, Mr. Christophe Liboua Mfougou.

In the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Al-Kathiri welcomed the head of the mission and his accompanying delegation, who had recently presented their credentials to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the capital, Aden, praising the ICRC's long-standing and vital role in the humanitarian situation of the South throughout various stages.

Al-Kathiri added: 'We need a comprehensive and balanced vision to address humanitarian needs and set consistent priorities, including the protection and assistance of those affected by conflict and war and the provision of medical services, especially crucial given the sidelining and inadequate aid that the people of the South have been enduring, as well as the double-edged war they face by Houthi militias and Al-Qaeda terrorists."

The Acting President of the STC emphasized the need for the mission to redouble its efforts to alleviate the suffering of citizens in the current living conditions. He reaffirmed the Southern Transitional Council's readiness to enhance the Red Cross's role and to coordinate and cooperate in the implementation of development plans and programs, as well as to provide the required security to facilitate the mission's work, ensuring that it can efficiently and effectively carry out its tasks.

For his part, the head of the mission clarified that the ICRC, with all its humanitarian teams and staff, is committed to continuing its humanitarian work, providing and developing services, and working towards the medium- and long-term sustainability of humanitarian projects and activities undertaken by the Red Cross in various vital sectors.

At the end of the meeting, the head of the mission expressed his gratitude to the leadership of the Southern Transitional Council for their warm hospitality and unwavering support for all the endeavours of the International Committee of the Red Cross. He expressed hope that this cooperation and coordination will continue in the coming period to strengthen the mission's humanitarian and relief interventions in the capital, Aden, and the rest of the southern governorates.
 
The meeting was attended by Mr. Imad Mohammed Ahmed, Director of the Office of the Vice Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Brigadier General Ahmed Hassan Al-Marhabi, Head of the Security Department of the STC, Dr. Najeeb Qayid Fare'a, Head of the Department of International Organizations and Human Rights at the General Authority for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the STC, and Mr. Baha'a Al-Sallami, Political Advisor of the ICRC.