Turkey condemns attack on aid worker in Yemen, expects perpetrators to be brought to justice
The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) built 45 whiteboards in schools in Yemen's Aden, Oct. 19, 2020. (AA Photo)


The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Wednesday strongly condemned the attack on a Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) worker serving in Yemen’s Aden province.

"We expect the perpetrators of this heinous attack on a Turkish Kızılay personnel, who works with devotion to relieve the pain and provides basic necessities to the people of friendly and brotherly Yemen that faces one of our day’s most serious humanitarian crises," a written statement of the ministry said.

It further wished the Kızılay worker Ali Can Budak a fast recovery.

Yemen’s foreign ministry similarly condemned the armed attack on Tuesday, according to the country’s official news agency SABA and stated that the issue was followed to bring the perpetrators to justice.

"One of the Turkish Red Crescent colleagues who carries out his duty in Yemen was attacked on 19th October by unknown gunmen and injured. Our colleague has been taken under treatment in Aden," Kızılay announced Tuesday on Twitter, adding that the Turkish Health Ministry had made the necessary preparations to transfer Budak to Turkey.

The statement added that "local officials have also been investigating the attackers and their purpose. As Turkish Red Crescent, we are closely following the process."

Fabrizio Carboni, regional director for the Near and Middle East of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), also wrote on Twitter the same day, describing the attack on a humanitarian worker as "unbearable."

"My thoughts are with the Red Crescent staff member who was wounded. Again, it's the Red Crescent Red Cross family who was attacked and it's my family. Unbearable," Carboni stated.

According to the United Nations, Yemen faces the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The war that has ravaged the country since 2015, largely seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, has killed over 100,000 people, including many civilians, and destroyed the economy and vital infrastructure. Accordingly, the country is now on the brink of what could be the world’s worst famine in over 100 years.