Red Cross worried for Yemeni civilians

SANAA, Yemen, May 17 (UPI) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross expressed concern over the growing number of civilian casualties due to fighting in southern Yemen.

Yemeni forces supported by tribal backers and the U.S. military have targeted al-Qaida strongholds in the southern province of Abyan.

Violence attributed to al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, the Yemeni arm of al-Qaida, has intensified in the wake of a yearlong uprising that forced long-time President Ali Abdullah Saleh from office earlier this year.

Eric Marclay, head of the ICRC delegation in Yemen, said all parties to the conflict are called on to ensure civilians are spared from ongoing violence.

"We are extremely concerned about the increasing number of casualties and about allegations of air strikes in civilian locations," he said in a statement.

Marclay made no reference to forces behind the airstrikes nor did he offer a tally of the casualties.

Unmanned drones reportedly operated by the CIA are said to have targeted AQAP leaders in the past.

Marclay said relief supplies were distributed to roughly 100,000 Yemenis within the past three months.

"We ask the parties involved to protect civilians and allow healthcare workers to do their job safely," he said.