Taiz – The UN health agency on Saturday said it had delivered eight tons of medications to hospitals in the third largest city under siege in Yemen’s war.

It marked the first time since the start of the conflict that the United Nations negotiated access by direct route to Taiz, crossing Yemen’s frontline to distribute the vital medical supplies, the World Health Organization said in a statement.

“The truck arrived in Taiz City yesterday. The medicines have been distributed to hospitals today,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told AFP.

More than 350,000 people are in need of urgent medical aid in Taiz, where pro-government forces are fighting back a rebel assault, the Geneva-based agency said.

Jasarevic added that previously the UN had only been able to get some medical supplies to Taiz via smaller, side roads in the war-ravaged country.

Yemen this month marks two years since a Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in support of government troops in the conflict.

The King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (KSRelief) was the first to break the siege on Taiz in 2015 and deliver food aid and medical supplies to its people.

UN mediation efforts and seven ceasefire accords have failed to end the war, which has left more than 7,500 dead and 40,000 people wounded.

Meanwhile, KSRELIEF continues to provide food baskets in Yakhtal area of Al-Mocha district.

Director of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center’s Office in Aden Saleh Al-Thiabi said that the aid came within efforts deployed by the center to assist the Yemeni population on the humanitarian and medical levels.