In Yemen’s southern port city of Aden security is in the hands of a mix of the young and local fighters from the Southern Separatist movement.
Aden was under the control of Iran-backed Houthi militias but in July troops loyal to the exiled President Hadi ousted them.
Since then officials say the city has descended into chaos. Assassinations and killings have increased. The security services are struggling to cope.
“The war has destroyed everything, including the security services. Former president Ali Saleh had built security institutions that served him and when he was overthrown those institutions collapsed. Today we rely on the young men of the resistance to work side by side with the security forces in the field, with the police and residents of the south to take care of security,” explained Head of Aden Public Sesurity Mohammed Musaed.
Taiz is split between Houthi-Saleh forces and pro-government gunmen fighting for every inch of ground. Of the more than 5,600 Yemenis killed in the civil war more than 1,600 have died in the city.
“The catastrophe is no longer imminent as we used to say. We are now in the deepest depths of a true catastrophe. There is a total collapse of the health sector inside the city. The hospitals that have not yet closed their doors to patients can no longer cope and deliver proper surgical care for victims of the war,” said Dr Abdel Raheem Al Saamee.
The city is besieged, water supplies are cut off with rebels mounting security checks and preventing vital supplies getting through.
The Red Cross said it had been negotiating to get basic medical aid through for over two months but to no avail
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