Stampede at Yemen aid event leaves at least 85 dead

A tragic stampede occurred during a financial aid distribution event in Yemen’s capital, resulting in at least 85 deaths and numerous injuries.

The event was organized by merchants in the Old City of Sanaa, and hundreds of impoverished individuals had gathered to receive aid.

The Houthi-run Interior Ministry blamed the disaster on the disorganized distribution of funds without coordination with local authorities.

Eyewitnesses reported that armed Houthis attempted to control the crowd by firing shots in the air, which caused an electrical wire to explode and sparked panic among the attendees.

The rebels quickly sealed off the school where the event was held and detained two organizers.

The conflict in Yemen, which began in 2014 when the Houthis removed the internationally recognized government, has turned into a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran and has resulted in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.