Yemen Red Crescent Society volunteer killed in Taiz

Sana’a / Geneva, 12 August 2016 – The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement mourns the death of another volunteer from the Yemen Red Crescent Society.

Khalid Abdullah, a 65-year-old Red Crescent volunteer was shot in the head on Thursday 11 August. At the time he was killed, Khalid was laying the ground work for an upcoming food distribution at Al-Horaish area of Salah district, inside the city of Taiz.

“With more than 30 years as a Yemen Red Crescent Society volunteer, Khalid had brought a difference into the lives of many. He has now left behind a wife and four children. Our thoughts are with them in these difficult times”, said Mr. Fuad Al-Makhazy Secretary General of the Yemen Red Crescent Society.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has no information at present on where the shot came from or whether it was a deliberate act. Tragically, Khalid is the tenth Yemen Red Crescent Society volunteer to die in the line of duty in Yemen since the start of the current conflict in March 2015. 

“In a city that has been brought to its knees by fighting, the work carried out by humanitarian workers and volunteers such as Khalid is critical to the lives of many. Ongoing fighting and airstrikes present grave risks. The failure to ensure the protection of humanitarian workers and volunteers, adds further complexities and prevents humanitarian organizations to deliver on their full potential,” said Mr. Al-Makhazy.

Yemen Red Crescent Society, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) together call for the immediate protection of Red Crescent volunteers and all other humanitarian workers. Without that protection, saving lives and offering vital assistance for millions of Yemenis in dire need will become almost impossible.

For further information, please contact:

In Sana’a:

Muhammad Ghazi, communicational focal point, Yemen Red Crescent Society
E-mail: mohammed.ghazi1@gmail.com ¦ Mob: +967 73 975 5666

Rima Kamal, communication coordinator – Yemen, ICRC
E-mail: rkamal@icrc.org ¦ Twitter:@rimaakamal ¦ Mob: +967 73 607 1967

In Beirut:

Stephen Ryan, communication coordinator – Middle East and North Africa, IFRC
E-mail: stephen.ryan@ifrc.org ¦ Twitter:@stiofanoriain ¦ Mob: + 961 71 802 779

Saleh Dabbakeh, Movement communication coordinator, ICRC
E-mail: sdabbakeh@icrc.org ¦ Mob: + 961 79 303 587

In Geneva:

Reeni Amin Chua, senior officer, public positioning and strategy, IFRC

E-mail: reeni.aminchua@ifrc.org ¦ Twitter: @reeniac ¦ Mob: +41 79 708 6273