The Anglican Bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf, Michael Lewis , has decried the conditions in the the Yemeni city of Aden saying they are 'terrible', with scarcities of basic commodities and widespread destruction.
Christian Today reports say more than than 600 people have been killed in the city and 3,000 wounded, while 22,000 residents had been displaced since the Iran-backed Houthi rebels first pushed into the city on March 25.
Fighting in the city has seen damage to the city's Christ Church and its associated clinic, Ras Morbat.
Rt Rev Lewis wrote in a prayer letter that the buildings' windows had been blown out as a result of blast waves from sustained shelling. However, he added, "we are told that all our staff are safe so far, and for that we thank God".
He said: "The general state of Aden is terrible: lack of fuel means lack of electricity, and telecommunications and even basic movement around the large city have become hugely difficult. Food is limited, and money to buy it even more so.
"Our administrator is very thankful for the many prayers that he knows have been made for him, for all who work at Ras Morbat, and for the people of Aden and the Yemen as a whole, a country sorely abused by those with the power, if they chose to use, to promote the common good to the glory of God."
A five-day truce appeared to be broadly holding yesterday, despite reports of airstrikes overnight by Saudi-led forces and continued military activity by the Houthis.
Witnesses in the southwestern city of Abyan said warplanes had hit positions there after the Houthi seized the area following the start late on Tuesday of the ceasefire, which is intended to ward off a humanitarian catastrophe.
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