CBS News foreign correspondent Clarissa Ward is the only American broadcast network correspondent inside Yemen, which is currently among the most dangerous countries in the world. It now appears she’s stranded there, according to her Twitter account.
Until very recently, Saudi Arabia blocked access to foreign journalists trying to cover the civil-war torn nation. Now, foreign journalists are trying to leave but can’t.
“Reporting in Yemen has been impossible for many months now with a Saudi led blockade preventing foreign journalists from entering, and this is such an important story; in addition to the dire humanitarian situation on the ground, Al Qaeda is flourishing here in the vacuum created by this civil war,” Ward told TVNewser. “The ramifications of this conflict go way beyond Yemen’s borders.”
We’re among 14 western journos stranded at Sana’a Airport. Some trying to get out 3 days. Flights keep getting cancelled.
— Clarissa Ward (@clarissaward) June 17, 2015
Saudis blocking 14 foreign journalists, including us, from flying out of Yemen. Seems like a bad idea to leave pissed-off journos here… — Matthieu Aikins (@mattaikins) June 17, 2015
While reporting from Yemen, Ward has visited a hospital for a first-hand look at the humanitarian crisis unfolding for CBS This Morning. She also appeared on the Evening News with Scott Pelley the past two nights, starting Monday with a report on air strikes and the deaths of 1,300 civilians. Last night, Ward’s report focused on what life is like for civilians.