Days after being sworn into Office at a ceremony in Saudi Arabia, members of Yemen's new unity government climbed off their flight on 30 December 2020 at Aden international airport, when a large explosion struck. AP footage from the scene of the airport showed members disembarking as the blast shook the grounds. Yemen’s Interior Ministry said at least 22 people were killed  and 50 were wounded, but the death toll could increase, as some of the wounds were serious.

After a few hours, a second attack hit the city’s Maasheq presidential palace, where cabinet members had been taken to, following the airport incident. No casualty was reported, as the cause of the second blast was unclear. Yet, no individual or group has claimed responsibility for any of the explosions.

Unfortunately, the hopes of rebuilding a country, which has been and continues to be devastated after six years of civil war, are once again fading. The attack on Aden international airport puts in jeopardy  the work of more than a year of Saudi breaker talks and the deals signed in 2019 are now in question.

As highlighted by analysts, the authority of the newly formed government has been undermined. As a consequence, Yemen’s new Prime Minister, Maneen Abdulmalik Saeed, tried to restore confidence. “We will never let our people down. The terrorists never defeat our people”, announced the new Prime Minister.

To know more, please read:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/30/several-killed-in-attack-on-yemens-aden-airport

https://apnews.com/article/yemen-middle-east-cabinets-sanaa-9fdc085dab7abb0a0f9888158be5ab0d

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-55484436

Author: Barbara Caltabiano; Editor: Gianmarco Italia