Unrest-hit Yemen received rice donation of around $2-mn from India

NEW YORK: India has made the rice donation of worth nearly $2 million to the unrest-hit Yemen and is in the process of sending another portion of food assistance in the form of wheat.

The aid by Indian government follows the appeal made by the United Nations to the international community for extensing humanitarian assistance to Yemen, India has extended food assistance in the form of close to 2,500 metric tonnes of rice valued at around $ 2 million.

The food assistance is channelised through the World Food Programme (WFP).

The first consignment of rice arrived at the Hodeidah Port in Yemen and was handed over formally to the WFP by Dr Ausaf Sayeed, Ambassador of India during a brief ceremony, as per a statement released by the Indian Embassy in Sana.

Omar Abdulaziz, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Hassan Ahmad Al Hajj, Secretary General of the Hodeidah Governorate, Henning Scharpff, Deputy Country Director of WFP and other officials of the Yemeni government, have also attended the ceremony.