A chaotic stampede broke out at an event in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, where financial aid was supposed to be distributed to the poor. According to a spokesman for the Houthi-run Interior Ministry, at least 78 people died, and many others were injured.

The incident happened in the City of Sanaa, where hundreds of poor residents had gathered to receive aid, at an event organized by merchants. The people gathered were set to receive 5,000 Yemeni Riyals per person, which totals around $9. Houthi officials said that the distribution of aid funds without the official coordination of local authorities was to blame for the tragedy.

Eyewitnesses claimed that the aid distributors, armed Houthis rebels, fired shots into the air to control the crowd, which caused an electrical wire to explode, sparking panic and leading to the stampede. The armed rebels reportedly sealed off the school where the event was held, preventing people, including journalists, from approaching. The Interior Ministry said that two of the event organizers had been taken into custody and that they had launched an investigation.

Houthis, backed by Iran, have controlled Sanaa since they removed the internationally recognized government in 2014. In response, a Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015, creating a conflict that has turned into a proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia, resulting in hundreds of thousands of fatalities. The war caused one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises.

Over 21 million people in Yemen need aid and protection, according to the UN’s Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Office, and over 17 million of those in need are particularly vulnerable.

In February, the United Nations held a conference to raise funds to ease the humanitarian crisis, with a target of $4.3 billion. However, they only managed to raise $1.2 billion.

The stampede happened just before Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan. The tragedy has shed light on the Yemeni people’s dire circumstances and highlights the need for international aid to address the country’s humanitarian crisis.