Photo taken on Nov. 23, 2017 shows the exterior of Sanaa International Airport in Sanaa, Yemen. Sanaa airport controlled by Shiite Houthi rebels was reopened and received two planes carrying humanitarian aid and diplomats on Wednesday after two weeks of closure imposed by a Saudi-led coalition, airport officials and state Saba news agency confirmed. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)
SANAA, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's capital Sanaa airport controlled by Shiite Houthi rebels was reopened and received two planes carrying humanitarian aid and diplomats on Wednesday after two weeks of closure imposed by a Saudi-led coalition, airport officials and state Saba news agency confirmed.
The first flight was for the International Committee of the Red Cross carrying humanitarian aid landed in the airport in the morning. The another plane carrying Russian diplomats landed in the airport hour later, according to the officials and Saba agency.
The move came a day after Houthi group announced the readiness of the airport to receive international flights after repairing the airport's radio navigation system.
Last week, Houthi group claimed that Saudi-led coalition airstrikes destroyed the airport's air navigation system and put the facility out of service.
On Nov. 6, Saudi Arabia-led military coalition forced closure of Houthi-controlled air, land and sea ports after the Nov. 4 Houthi ballistic missile attack over the Saudi capital Riyadh.
The UN relief agencies warned of mass famine and health catastrophes in Yemen's north as a consequence of the all-out blockade.
The coalition had forced the closure of Sanaa airport for more than a year and banned commercial flights for fears of weapons smuggling to the Houthi rebels and permitted only United Nations aid-supplying planes and diplomatic flights.
