Abu Mohammed fusses over the donkeys he is selling in war-torn Yemen, where the animal has become a must-have commodity at a time of biting fuel and currency crises.

Yemenis have resorted to using donkeys to transport water and goods, as the conflict that has ravaged the economy for more than five years leaves gas-guzzling SUVs out of reach for most.

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"The higher the price of fuel and costs of living, the more demand there is for donkeys," said Mohammed, as he saddled up along a garbage-strewn road in the southern port city of Aden.

No part of Yemen has been spared the conflict, in which Iran-backed Huthi rebels have captured swathes of the north from the internationally-recognised government.

Meanwhile, rampant inflation has made most supplies scarce and expensive.&nbsp;

Aden is under the control of the separatist Southern Transitional Council, which while technically an ally of the government, is at odds with the loyalists over the future status of the south.

As Yemen sinks deeper into crisis, the UN estimates three quarters of its 29-million population is dependent on aid, in what it calls the worst humanitarian crisis on earth.

A litre (a quarter of a gallon) of petrol now sells for $0.50, in an oil-producing country where teachers earn less than $25 a month.

Yemen's currency keeps depreciating -- it is currently at over 800 riyals to the US dollar on the black market, compared to 610 riyals in January.

'Simpler methods'&nbsp;

In Aden, built partly on a volcanic site called Crater, the use of donkeys was long the norm for the hilly coastal district before modern means of transport.

Now, in the 21st century, children on donkeys transporting heavy loads and jerrycans of water have once again become a common sight.&nbsp;

"Sometimes gasoline can't be found for as long as two weeks," said Mohammed. "People are returning to simpler methods."

The 38-year-old father of nine, who looks far older than his years, turned to donkey trading two years ago after he lost his job.

Business has since boomed.

He buys the animals from nearby Abyan province, where they cost less, and then puts them up for sale in Aden.

"We can make a profit of between 7,000 and 8,000 riyals a day, and it costs almost nothing to feed the donkeys," he said.

"How could I have fed my children with the cost of living so high? Even if I looked for another job, I can't find one," he said.

"Thanks to God, and then to donkeys, I have an income."

Mohammed Anwar, a father of three who also supports his mother and sister, said his household is one of many in Yemen without piped water.

"If we didn't have a donkey, we wouldn't have water," he said, as he led the animal to the local pump with a pile of jerrycans.&nbsp;

But as queues at petrol stations stretch longer and demand for donkeys rises, the price of the animal is also going up.

"A donkey can now cost between 70,000 and 100,000 riyals, and the poor still cannot afford that," Anwar said.

&nbsp;

Abu Mohammed fusses over the donkeys he is selling in war-torn Yemen, where the animal has become a must-have commodity at a time of biting fuel and currency crises.

Abu Mohammed fusses over the donkeys he is selling in war-torn Yemen, where the animal has become a must-have commodity at a time of biting fuel and currency crises. Yemenis have resorted to using donkeys to transport water and goods, as the conflict that has ravaged the economy for more than five years leaves gas-guzzling SUVs out of reach for most. Also read | Saudi coalition attack Houthi military sites in Yemen's Sanaa: Al-Arabiya "The higher the price of fuel and costs of living, the more demand there is for donkeys," said Mohammed, as he saddled up along a garbage-strewn road in the southern port city of Aden. No part of Yemen has been spared the conflict, in which Iran-backed Huthi rebels have captured swathes of the north from the internationally-recognised government. Meanwhile, rampant inflation has made most supplies scarce and expensive. Aden is under the control of the separatist Southern Transitional Council, which while technically an ally of the government, is at odds with the loyalists over the future status of the south. As Yemen sinks deeper into crisis, the UN estimates three quarters of its 29-million population is dependent on aid, in what it calls the worst humanitarian crisis on earth. A litre (a quarter of a gallon) of petrol now sells for $0.50, in an oil-producing country where teachers earn less than $25 a month. Yemen's currency keeps depreciating -- it is currently at over 800 riyals to the US dollar on the black market, compared to 610 riyals in January. 'Simpler methods' In Aden, built partly on a volcanic site called Crater, the use of donkeys was long the norm for the hilly coastal district before modern means of transport. Now, in the 21st century, children on donkeys transporting heavy loads and jerrycans of water have once again become a common sight. "Sometimes gasoline can't be found for as long as two weeks," said Mohammed. "People are returning to simpler methods." The 38-year-old father of nine, who looks far older than his years, turned to donkey trading two years ago after he lost his job. Business has since boomed. He buys the animals from nearby Abyan province, where they cost less, and then puts them up for sale in Aden. "We can make a profit of between 7,000 and 8,000 riyals a day, and it costs almost nothing to feed the donkeys," he said. "How could I have fed my children with the cost of living so high? Even if I looked for another job, I can't find one," he said. "Thanks to God, and then to donkeys, I have an income." Mohammed Anwar, a father of three who also supports his mother and sister, said his household is one of many in Yemen without piped water. "If we didn't have a donkey, we wouldn't have water," he said, as he led the animal to the local pump with a pile of jerrycans. But as queues at petrol stations stretch longer and demand for donkeys rises, the price of the animal is also going up. "A donkey can now cost between 70,000 and 100,000 riyals, and the poor still cannot afford that," Anwar said.

In war-torn Yemen, how donkeys became a prized commodity

The United Nations said Wednesday it has been forced to close or severely cut back half of its major programmes in Yemen to tackle the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

"We have a moral obligation to warn the world that millions of Yemenis will suffer and could die because we don't have the funding we need to keep going," said the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, Lisa Grande.

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Grande said UN programmes in Yemen had had a "real impact", preventing large-scale famine, rolling back the worst cholera epidemic in modern history and providing help to millions of displaced people, and she appealed to donors to provide the funds to keep them going.

Five years of war between pro-Iran rebels and a Saudi-led coalition which intervened to shore up the beleaguered government have left nearly 80 percent of Yemenis -- more than 24 million people -- dependent on some form of humanitarian aid.

A Yemen aid conference held in Riyadh on June 2 saw donors pledge only $1.35 billion of the $2.41 billion needed to cover essential humanitarian activities until the end of the year, leaving a gap of more than $1 billion.

Saudi Arabia, a key player in the conflict, emerged as the biggest donor, pledging an aid package worth $500 million.

The UN said the impact of underfunding had been dramatic, against what it has termed the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

In April, food rations for more than eight million people in northern Yemen were halved and humanitarian agencies were forced to stop reproductive health services in 140 facilities.

Health services were cut or reduced in a further 275 specialised centres for treating people with cholera and other infectious diseases.&nbsp;

Allowances to nearly 10,000 frontline health workers were stopped and the supplies needed to treat trauma patients, who will almost certainly die without immediate treatment, were halted.

If funding is not urgently received within weeks, medicines and essential supplies for 189 hospitals and 2,500 clinics, representing half of the health facilities in Yemen, will halt just as the world does battle with the coronavirus pandemic.

International medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has warned that Yemen faces a "catastrophe" from the disease.&nbsp;

The UN says COVID-19 has likely already spread throughout most of&nbsp;Yemen, even though less than 2,000 cases, including 537 deaths, have been recorded

The United Nations said Wednesday it has been forced to close or severely cut back half of its major programmes in Yemen to tackle the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The United Nations said Wednesday it has been forced to close or severely cut back half of its major programmes in Yemen to tackle the world's worst humanitarian crisis. "We have a moral obligation to warn the world that millions of Yemenis will suffer and could die because we don't have the funding we need to keep going," said the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, Lisa Grande. Also read: Mali soldiers promise elections after coup condemned abroad Grande said UN programmes in Yemen had had a "real impact", preventing large-scale famine, rolling back the worst cholera epidemic in modern history and providing help to millions of displaced people, and she appealed to donors to provide the funds to keep them going. Five years of war between pro-Iran rebels and a Saudi-led coalition which intervened to shore up the beleaguered government have left nearly 80 percent of Yemenis -- more than 24 million people -- dependent on some form of humanitarian aid. A Yemen aid conference held in Riyadh on June 2 saw donors pledge only $1.35 billion of the $2.41 billion needed to cover essential humanitarian activities until the end of the year, leaving a gap of more than $1 billion. Saudi Arabia, a key player in the conflict, emerged as the biggest donor, pledging an aid package worth $500 million. The UN said the impact of underfunding had been dramatic, against what it has termed the world's worst humanitarian crisis. In April, food rations for more than eight million people in northern Yemen were halved and humanitarian agencies were forced to stop reproductive health services in 140 facilities. Health services were cut or reduced in a further 275 specialised centres for treating people with cholera and other infectious diseases. Allowances to nearly 10,000 frontline health workers were stopped and the supplies needed to treat trauma patients, who will almost certainly die without immediate treatment, were halted. If funding is not urgently received within weeks, medicines and essential supplies for 189 hospitals and 2,500 clinics, representing half of the health facilities in Yemen, will halt just as the world does battle with the coronavirus pandemic. International medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has warned that Yemen faces a "catastrophe" from the disease. The UN says COVID-19 has likely already spread throughout most of Yemen, even though less than 2,000 cases, including 537 deaths, have been recorded

UN says half its Yemen aid programmes hit by lack of funds

Britain will resume weapons sales to Saudi Arabia despite international concerns that some could be used in the war in Yemen.

The Court of Appeal last year ruled that Britain broke the law by allowing weapons sales to Saudi Arabia that might have been deployed in the war in Yemen.

The court concluded that Britain’s government had erred in law in its decision-making processes on arms export licences to Saudi Arabia, after activists said there was evidence the weapons had been used in violation of human rights statutes.

While the court’s decision did not mean Britain had to halt arms exports to Saudi Arabia, it did mean it had to pause the granting of new export licences to sell arms to the kingdom - Britain’s biggest weapons purchaser.

To this end, opposition legislators and campaigners against the arms trade slammed the "morally bankrupt" decision by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative government.

The Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT), which originally brought the legal action and had argued that British weapons were likely to have been used in Yemen in violation of human rights law, condemned the decision.

“This is a disgraceful and morally bankrupt decision. The Saudi-led bombardment of Yemen has created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, and the government itself admits that UK-made arms have played a central role on the bombing,” it said.

(with inputs from agencies)

Britain will resume weapons sales to Saudi Arabia despite international concerns that some could be used in the war in Yemen. The Court of Appeal last year ruled that Britain broke the law by allowing weapons sales to Saudi Arabia that might have been deployed in the war in Yemen.

Britain will resume weapons sales to Saudi Arabia despite international concerns that some could be used in the war in Yemen. The Court of Appeal last year ruled that Britain broke the law by allowing weapons sales to Saudi Arabia that might have been deployed in the war in Yemen. The court concluded that Britain’s government had erred in law in its decision-making processes on arms export licences to Saudi Arabia, after activists said there was evidence the weapons had been used in violation of human rights statutes. While the court’s decision did not mean Britain had to halt arms exports to Saudi Arabia, it did mean it had to pause the granting of new export licences to sell arms to the kingdom - Britain’s biggest weapons purchaser. To this end, opposition legislators and campaigners against the arms trade slammed the "morally bankrupt" decision by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative government. The Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT), which originally brought the legal action and had argued that British weapons were likely to have been used in Yemen in violation of human rights law, condemned the decision. “This is a disgraceful and morally bankrupt decision. The Saudi-led bombardment of Yemen has created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, and the government itself admits that UK-made arms have played a central role on the bombing,” it said. (with inputs from agencies)

Britain to resume Saudi arms exports despite Yemen war concerns

Yemen's Huthi rebels have seized control of a strategic town north of the capital, government officials said Sunday, in what analysts say could change the course of the five-year-old war.

The Iran-aligned militia captured Al-Hazm, capital of the northern province of Al-Jawf, enabling the rebels to pose a threat to neighbouring oil-rich Marib province, a government military official told AFP.

Al-Jawf has been mostly controlled by the Huthis, but its capital -- only 150 kilometres (90 miles) south of the border with Saudi Arabia -- had been in the hands of the government.

Yemen's internationally-recognised government, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, has been battling the Huthi rebels since 2014 after they captured the capital Sanaa and swathes of the impoverished Arab nation.

"The Huthi rebels have taken control of Al-Hazm, the regional capital of Al-Jawf, after fierce fighting with government troops who were forced to withdraw to neighbouring Marib province," the official said.&nbsp;

According to other military sources, at least 30 government troops -- including high-ranking officers -- were killed in the battle over the past two days.

The Huthis also suffered dozens of casualties, the sources added.

Maged al-Madhaji, executive director of the Sanaa Centre, a Yemeni think-tank, said the Huthis' capture of Al-Hazm could be a game-changer.

"Control of the capital of Al-Jawf could totally change the course of the war. Huthis have made an exceptional advance and are changing the balance" in their favour, Madhaji told AFP.

He said the advance would enable the rebels to surround Marib, the most significant territory in the hands of the government.

It also secures supply lines between Sanaa and the Huthi northern stronghold of Saada, Madhaji said.&nbsp;

Since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015, tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed and millions displaced, in what the UN has termed the world's worst humanitarian crisis.&nbsp;

Yemen's Huthi rebels have seized control of a strategic town north of the capital, government officials said Sunday, in what analysts say could change the course of the five-year-old war.

Yemen's Huthi rebels have seized control of a strategic town north of the capital, government officials said Sunday, in what analysts say could change the course of the five-year-old war. The Iran-aligned militia captured Al-Hazm, capital of the northern province of Al-Jawf, enabling the rebels to pose a threat to neighbouring oil-rich Marib province, a government military official told AFP. Al-Jawf has been mostly controlled by the Huthis, but its capital -- only 150 kilometres (90 miles) south of the border with Saudi Arabia -- had been in the hands of the government. Yemen's internationally-recognised government, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, has been battling the Huthi rebels since 2014 after they captured the capital Sanaa and swathes of the impoverished Arab nation. "The Huthi rebels have taken control of Al-Hazm, the regional capital of Al-Jawf, after fierce fighting with government troops who were forced to withdraw to neighbouring Marib province," the official said. According to other military sources, at least 30 government troops -- including high-ranking officers -- were killed in the battle over the past two days. The Huthis also suffered dozens of casualties, the sources added. Maged al-Madhaji, executive director of the Sanaa Centre, a Yemeni think-tank, said the Huthis' capture of Al-Hazm could be a game-changer. "Control of the capital of Al-Jawf could totally change the course of the war. Huthis have made an exceptional advance and are changing the balance" in their favour, Madhaji told AFP. He said the advance would enable the rebels to surround Marib, the most significant territory in the hands of the government. It also secures supply lines between Sanaa and the Huthi northern stronghold of Saada, Madhaji said. Since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015, tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed and millions displaced, in what the UN has termed the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Yemen rebels seize capital of strategic province

Eight of the Yemeni defence minister's bodyguards were killed Wednesday when their vehicle hit a landmine east of the capital Sanaa, but the official was unhurt, a ministry source said.

The Yemen government -- backed by a Saudi-led military coalition -- has been battling Iran-bached Huthi rebels since 2014, when the insurgents seized control of Sanaa.

Defence Minister General Mohammed Ali al-Maqdishi was in Marib province on Wednesday visiting one of the main frontlines.

"A vehicle accompanying that of the defence minister was struck by an explosion," a defence ministry source told AFP.&nbsp;

He said that eight of the guards were killed, raising an earlier toll of six dead.

"Nothing happened to the minister," the source said.&nbsp;

Loyalist military officials said in late January that the Huthis had made gains against government troops north and east of the capital, seizing a strategic road.

The road connects Sanaa to the provinces of Marib, to the east, and Jawf in the north.

Before the latest upsurge in fighting, Jawf province had been mostly controlled by the Huthis, with its capital still in the hands of the government.

Marib province, including its capital, is under government control.

The renewed fighting, which erupted several weeks ago, included a January 18 missile strike on a loyalist military camp that killed 116 people.

Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed and millions been displaced in a war that the United Nations has termed the world's worst humanitarian crisis.&nbsp;

Eight of the Yemeni defence minister's bodyguards were killed Wednesday when their vehicle hit a landmine east of the capital Sanaa, but the official was unhurt, a ministry source said.

Eight of the Yemeni defence minister's bodyguards were killed Wednesday when their vehicle hit a landmine east of the capital Sanaa, but the official was unhurt, a ministry source said. The Yemen government -- backed by a Saudi-led military coalition -- has been battling Iran-bached Huthi rebels since 2014, when the insurgents seized control of Sanaa. Defence Minister General Mohammed Ali al-Maqdishi was in Marib province on Wednesday visiting one of the main frontlines. "A vehicle accompanying that of the defence minister was struck by an explosion," a defence ministry source told AFP. He said that eight of the guards were killed, raising an earlier toll of six dead. "Nothing happened to the minister," the source said. Loyalist military officials said in late January that the Huthis had made gains against government troops north and east of the capital, seizing a strategic road. The road connects Sanaa to the provinces of Marib, to the east, and Jawf in the north. Before the latest upsurge in fighting, Jawf province had been mostly controlled by the Huthis, with its capital still in the hands of the government. Marib province, including its capital, is under government control. The renewed fighting, which erupted several weeks ago, included a January 18 missile strike on a loyalist military camp that killed 116 people. Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed and millions been displaced in a war that the United Nations has termed the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Yemen minister's bodyguards killed in convoy blast

Over 80 Yemeni soldiers were killed and several wounded in missile and drone attack blamed on Huthi rebels in central Yemen, sources said on Sunday.&nbsp;

A mosque in a military camp was attacked by the Huthis in the central province of Marib, during evening prayers, military sources said.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/death-toll-climbs-to-seven-in-missile-attack-in-yemen-270894">Death toll climbs to seven in missile attack in Yemen</a>

A medical source at a Marib city hospital, where casualties were admitted, informed that 83 soldiers are killed and 148 injured in the attack.&nbsp;

Saudi state TV said that 60 people are killed in the attack.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/blast-hits-military-parade-in-yemen-at-least-five-dead-270854">Blast hits military parade in Yemen, at least five dead</a>

Death toll figures are mostly disputed, but the huge toll from this strike means that it is one of the bloodiest attacks since the beginning of the war&nbsp;in 2014 when Sanaa was captured by rebels.&nbsp;

The attack came a day after the coalition-backed government forces initiated a large-scale operation against the Huthis in the Nihm region, north of Sanaa.&nbsp;

Another military source informed that fighting in Nihm is ongoing on Sunday.&nbsp;

"Dozens from the (Huthi) militia were killed and injured," the source said.&nbsp;

Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi condemned the mosque attack.&nbsp;

"The disgraceful actions of the Huthi militia without a doubt confirm its unwillingness to (achieve) peace, because it knows nothing but death and destruction and is a cheap Iranian tool in the region," official Saba news agency quoted Hadi as saying.&nbsp;

The drone and missile attack comes after months of relative peace in the war between Iran-backed Huthis and Yemen's internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi and its military allies.&nbsp;

Recently, United Nations envoy Martin Griffiths also welcomed a significant reduction in airstrikes and the movement of ground troops.&nbsp;

Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed and millions displaced in the war in Yemen, which the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

An UN-brokered agreement signed between the warring sides in December 2018 is seen as a hope to reduce the crisis in Yemen but the slow implementation means that the intense conflict continues.&nbsp;

(With inputs from AFP and Reuters)

Over 80 Yemeni soldiers were killed and several wounded in missile and drone attack blamed on Huthi rebels in central Yemen, sources said on Sunday. A mosque in a military camp was attacked by the Huthis in the central province of Marib, during evening prayers, military sources said.

Over 80 Yemeni soldiers were killed and several wounded in missile and drone attack blamed on Huthi rebels in central Yemen, sources said on Sunday. A mosque in a military camp was attacked by the Huthis in the central province of Marib, during evening prayers, military sources said. Also read: Death toll climbs to seven in missile attack in Yemen A medical source at a Marib city hospital, where casualties were admitted, informed that 83 soldiers are killed and 148 injured in the attack. Saudi state TV said that 60 people are killed in the attack. Also read: Blast hits military parade in Yemen, at least five dead Death toll figures are mostly disputed, but the huge toll from this strike means that it is one of the bloodiest attacks since the beginning of the war in 2014 when Sanaa was captured by rebels. The attack came a day after the coalition-backed government forces initiated a large-scale operation against the Huthis in the Nihm region, north of Sanaa. Another military source informed that fighting in Nihm is ongoing on Sunday. "Dozens from the (Huthi) militia were killed and injured," the source said. Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi condemned the mosque attack. "The disgraceful actions of the Huthi militia without a doubt confirm its unwillingness to (achieve) peace, because it knows nothing but death and destruction and is a cheap Iranian tool in the region," official Saba news agency quoted Hadi as saying. The drone and missile attack comes after months of relative peace in the war between Iran-backed Huthis and Yemen's internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi and its military allies. Recently, United Nations envoy Martin Griffiths also welcomed a significant reduction in airstrikes and the movement of ground troops. Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed and millions displaced in the war in Yemen, which the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. An UN-brokered agreement signed between the warring sides in December 2018 is seen as a hope to reduce the crisis in Yemen but the slow implementation means that the intense conflict continues. (With inputs from AFP and Reuters)

Yemen: Over 80 killed in missile attack, bloodiest since beginning of war

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&nbsp;has deployed more&nbsp;troops in&nbsp;southern&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;to try to contain clashes between nominal allies in the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis that risks further fragmenting the country.&nbsp;

The fight for the&nbsp;south of the country has opened a new conflict, focused around the port of Aden, in a multifaceted war that has killed tens of thousands and pushed the long-impoverished&nbsp;Arabian Peninsula nation to the brink of famine.

Saudi&nbsp;soldiers and armed vehicles arrived over the weekend in the capital of the oil-producing Shabwa province where the United Arab Emirates-backed separatists have been battling forces of&nbsp;Yemen's&nbsp;Saudi-backed government for control, two local officials said.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-france-britain-may-be-complicit-in-yemen-war-crimes-un-report-247434">US, France, Britain may be complicit in Yemen war crimes,&nbsp;UN report&nbsp;says</a>

The two sides are part of the Sunni Muslim coalition, led by&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&nbsp;and the UAE, that intervened in&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;in March 2015 against the Iran-aligned Houthi group which ousted the government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi from power in the capital Sanaa in 2014.

But the separatists, who seek to restore the former&nbsp;South&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;republic, turned on the government in early August and seized control of Aden, interim seat of Hadi's government.

They have since been trying to extend their reach to nearby Abyan and Shabwa, clashing repeatedly with government forces.

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&nbsp;has reinforced its positions in Shabwa and Aden as Riyadh called for talks to resolve the crisis and refocus the Western-backed coalition on battling the Houthis, who have stepped up missile and drone attacks on&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;cities.

"Saudi&nbsp;forces arrived in Shabwa and started working with the local government for a de-escalation and a ceasefire. All parties responded positively to the coalition's calls," coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki said on Monday.

Trenches and tunnels

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia's main coalition partner, the Gulf ally the UAE, openly intervened on behalf of the separatist&nbsp;Southern Transitional Council (STC) last week by bombing government forces trying to regain control of Aden, forcing them to retreat.

STC forces also brought reinforcements into Aden, witnesses said on Tuesday, calling back fighters who had been deployed on the outskirts of the main port of Hodeidah, held by the Houthis, in the west.

The fighters dug tunnels and built trenches at the edges of Aden and blocked main roads leading out of the city to prevent government forces from recapturing it, they said.

The STC, which accuses Hadi's government of mismanagement, made its move on Aden after the UAE scaled down its military presence in&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;in June under increased Western pressure to the end the war. But Abu Dhabi retained influence through tens of thousands of&nbsp;southern fighters it has armed and trained.

The UN&nbsp;Security Council last week urged all sides to show restraint and preserve&nbsp;Yemen's territorial integrity.

Escalating violence across&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;and the evident rift between&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&nbsp;and the UAE could complicate United Nations efforts to restart peace talks to end the conflict, which is largely seen as a proxy war between&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&nbsp;and Iran.

Earlier this week, coalition warplanes bombed a prison complex in&nbsp;southwest&nbsp;Yemen, killing more than 100 people. The UN&nbsp;called for an investigation but the coalition insisted it had struck a Houthi arms storage site.

The Houthis, who hold Sanaa and most big population centres, have seized on the Aden events as proof that Hadi cannot rule or be a serious partner in any negotiations. The group denies being a puppet of Tehran and says it is fighting a corrupt system.

Saudi Arabia has deployed more troops in southern Yemen to try to contain clashes between nominal allies in the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis that risks further fragmenting the country.

Saudi Arabia has deployed more troops in southern Yemen to try to contain clashes between nominal allies in the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis that risks further fragmenting the country. The fight for the south of the country has opened a new conflict, focused around the port of Aden, in a multifaceted war that has killed tens of thousands and pushed the long-impoverished Arabian Peninsula nation to the brink of famine. Saudi soldiers and armed vehicles arrived over the weekend in the capital of the oil-producing Shabwa province where the United Arab Emirates-backed separatists have been battling forces of Yemen's Saudi-backed government for control, two local officials said. Also Read: US, France, Britain may be complicit in Yemen war crimes, UN report says The two sides are part of the Sunni Muslim coalition, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, that intervened in Yemen in March 2015 against the Iran-aligned Houthi group which ousted the government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi from power in the capital Sanaa in 2014. But the separatists, who seek to restore the former South Yemen republic, turned on the government in early August and seized control of Aden, interim seat of Hadi's government. They have since been trying to extend their reach to nearby Abyan and Shabwa, clashing repeatedly with government forces. Saudi Arabia has reinforced its positions in Shabwa and Aden as Riyadh called for talks to resolve the crisis and refocus the Western-backed coalition on battling the Houthis, who have stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities. "Saudi forces arrived in Shabwa and started working with the local government for a de-escalation and a ceasefire. All parties responded positively to the coalition's calls," coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki said on Monday. Trenches and tunnels Saudi Arabia's main coalition partner, the Gulf ally the UAE, openly intervened on behalf of the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) last week by bombing government forces trying to regain control of Aden, forcing them to retreat. STC forces also brought reinforcements into Aden, witnesses said on Tuesday, calling back fighters who had been deployed on the outskirts of the main port of Hodeidah, held by the Houthis, in the west. The fighters dug tunnels and built trenches at the edges of Aden and blocked main roads leading out of the city to prevent government forces from recapturing it, they said. The STC, which accuses Hadi's government of mismanagement, made its move on Aden after the UAE scaled down its military presence in Yemen in June under increased Western pressure to the end the war. But Abu Dhabi retained influence through tens of thousands of southern fighters it has armed and trained. The UN Security Council last week urged all sides to show restraint and preserve Yemen's territorial integrity. Escalating violence across Yemen and the evident rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE could complicate United Nations efforts to restart peace talks to end the conflict, which is largely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Earlier this week, coalition warplanes bombed a prison complex in southwest Yemen, killing more than 100 people. The UN called for an investigation but the coalition insisted it had struck a Houthi arms storage site. The Houthis, who hold Sanaa and most big population centres, have seized on the Aden events as proof that Hadi cannot rule or be a serious partner in any negotiations. The group denies being a puppet of Tehran and says it is fighting a corrupt system.

Saudi Arabia boosts troop levels in south Yemen as tensions rise

The United States, Britain and France may be complicit in war crimes in Yemen by arming and providing intelligence and logistics support to a Saudi-led coalition that starves civilians as a war tactic, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

UN&nbsp;investigators recommended that all states impose a ban on arms transfers to the warring parties to prevent them from being used to commit serious violations.

"It is clear that the continued supply of weapons to parties to the conflict is perpetuating the conflict and prolonging the suffering of the Yememi people," Melissa Parke, an expert on the independent UN&nbsp;panel, told a news conference.

"That is why we are urging member states to no longer supply weapons to parties to the conflict," she said.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the main parties in the coalition fighting against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement that controls Yemen's capital, are two of the biggest buyers of US, British and French weapons.

The experts compiled a secret list of suspected war criminals. Investigators found potential crimes on both sides, while highlighting the role Western countries play as backers of the Arab states and Iran plays in support of the Houthis.

"There are no clean hands in this combat, in this contest," panelist Charles Garraway said.

The report accused the anti-Houthi coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE of killing civilians in air strikes and deliberately denying them food in a country facing famine. The Houthis, for their part, have shelled cities, deployed child soldiers and used "siege-like warfare", it said.

Neither the Saudi government communications office nor UAE officials responded immediately to Reuters requests for comment.

The Houthis drove Yemen's government out of the capital Sanaa in 2014. The Saudi-led coalition of Sunni Muslim states intervened the following year to restore the ousted government, a conflict that has since killed tens of thousands of people.

The prospect of famine has created what the United Nations describes as the world's biggest humanitarian crisis, where 24 million people rely on aid.

Secret List

The UN&nbsp;report said its independent panel had sent a secret list to UN&nbsp;human rights chief Michelle Bachelet, identifying "individuals who may be responsible for international crimes".

Its appendix lists more than 160 "main actors" among Saudi, Emirati and Yemeni government and Houthi officials, although it said this was separate from the suspects list.

The report said, "The legality of arms transfers by France, the United Kingdom, the United States and other States remains questionable, and is the subject of various domestic court proceedings."

It found that a Joint Incidents Assessment Team set up by Saudi Arabia to review alleged coalition violations had failed to hold anyone accountable for any strike killing civilians, raising "concerns as to the impartiality of its investigations".

"Of one thing we are pretty sure - things are going wrong in the (coalition) targeting process," Garraway said.

The UN&nbsp;panel said it had received allegations that Emirati and affiliated forces have tortured, raped and killed suspected political opponents detained in secret facilities, while Houthi forces had planted land mines that killed hundreds.

The United States, Britain and France may be complicit in war crimes in Yemen by arming and providing intelligence and logistics support to a Saudi-led coalition that starves civilians as a war tactic, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

The United States, Britain and France may be complicit in war crimes in Yemen by arming and providing intelligence and logistics support to a Saudi-led coalition that starves civilians as a war tactic, the United Nations said on Tuesday. UN investigators recommended that all states impose a ban on arms transfers to the warring parties to prevent them from being used to commit serious violations. "It is clear that the continued supply of weapons to parties to the conflict is perpetuating the conflict and prolonging the suffering of the Yememi people," Melissa Parke, an expert on the independent UN panel, told a news conference. "That is why we are urging member states to no longer supply weapons to parties to the conflict," she said. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the main parties in the coalition fighting against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement that controls Yemen's capital, are two of the biggest buyers of US, British and French weapons. The experts compiled a secret list of suspected war criminals. Investigators found potential crimes on both sides, while highlighting the role Western countries play as backers of the Arab states and Iran plays in support of the Houthis. "There are no clean hands in this combat, in this contest," panelist Charles Garraway said. The report accused the anti-Houthi coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE of killing civilians in air strikes and deliberately denying them food in a country facing famine. The Houthis, for their part, have shelled cities, deployed child soldiers and used "siege-like warfare", it said. Neither the Saudi government communications office nor UAE officials responded immediately to Reuters requests for comment. The Houthis drove Yemen's government out of the capital Sanaa in 2014. The Saudi-led coalition of Sunni Muslim states intervened the following year to restore the ousted government, a conflict that has since killed tens of thousands of people. The prospect of famine has created what the United Nations describes as the world's biggest humanitarian crisis, where 24 million people rely on aid. Secret List The UN report said its independent panel had sent a secret list to UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet, identifying "individuals who may be responsible for international crimes". Its appendix lists more than 160 "main actors" among Saudi, Emirati and Yemeni government and Houthi officials, although it said this was separate from the suspects list. The report said, "The legality of arms transfers by France, the United Kingdom, the United States and other States remains questionable, and is the subject of various domestic court proceedings." It found that a Joint Incidents Assessment Team set up by Saudi Arabia to review alleged coalition violations had failed to hold anyone accountable for any strike killing civilians, raising "concerns as to the impartiality of its investigations". "Of one thing we are pretty sure - things are going wrong in the (coalition) targeting process," Garraway said. The UN panel said it had received allegations that Emirati and affiliated forces have tortured, raped and killed suspected political opponents detained in secret facilities, while Houthi forces had planted land mines that killed hundreds.

US, France, Britain may be complicit in Yemen war crimes: UN report

Thousands of Yemenis marched through Aden Thursday demanding renewed independence for the south after separatist fighters drove unionist forces out of its former capital in deadly fighting last week.

The demonstrators rallied in the Khormaksar district in the heart of the sprawling port city, waving southern flags and banners proclaiming loyalty to the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC).

Organisers said many of the demonstrators had travelled into the city from neighbouring southern provinces to add their voice to the calls for secession.

South Yemen was an independent country until it merged with the north in 1990. An armed secession bid four years later ended in occupation by northern forces, which provoked resentments that persist to this day.

Separatist forces trained and equipped by the United Arab Emirates seized the presidential palace in Aden on Saturday following days of clashes with rival, unionist forces loyal to the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

The clashes left at least 40 people dead and 260 wounded, according to the United Nations.

Hadi's government on Wednesday ruled out any talks with the separatists until they withdraw from the positions they seized last week.

Saudi Arabia, which has led a long and costly military intervention supporting the government against Huthi rebels from the north, has also called on the separatists to pull back to clear the way for dialogue.

But a petition signed by southern civil society organisations and trade unions called on the Saudi-led coalition to hand over the administration of the south to the separatist STC.

It urged STC chief Aidarus al-Zubaidi to declare independence and appealed for international recognition for the breakaway state.

Analysts say the break between Hadi's government and the separatists reflects a wider split between the main partners in the coalition, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, that threatens to undermine their common battle against the Huthis.

After four and a half years of military intervention, the rebels remain in control of the capital Sanaa and much of the more populous north.&nbsp;

The conflict has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people and displaced some 3.3 million. Two-thirds of the population -- some 20 million people -- require humanitarian support, according to the United Nations.

Thousands of Yemenis marched through Aden Thursday demanding renewed independence for the south after separatist fighters drove unionist forces out of its former capital in deadly fighting last week.

Thousands of Yemenis marched through Aden Thursday demanding renewed independence for the south after separatist fighters drove unionist forces out of its former capital in deadly fighting last week. The demonstrators rallied in the Khormaksar district in the heart of the sprawling port city, waving southern flags and banners proclaiming loyalty to the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC). Organisers said many of the demonstrators had travelled into the city from neighbouring southern provinces to add their voice to the calls for secession. South Yemen was an independent country until it merged with the north in 1990. An armed secession bid four years later ended in occupation by northern forces, which provoked resentments that persist to this day. Separatist forces trained and equipped by the United Arab Emirates seized the presidential palace in Aden on Saturday following days of clashes with rival, unionist forces loyal to the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. The clashes left at least 40 people dead and 260 wounded, according to the United Nations. Hadi's government on Wednesday ruled out any talks with the separatists until they withdraw from the positions they seized last week. Saudi Arabia, which has led a long and costly military intervention supporting the government against Huthi rebels from the north, has also called on the separatists to pull back to clear the way for dialogue. But a petition signed by southern civil society organisations and trade unions called on the Saudi-led coalition to hand over the administration of the south to the separatist STC. It urged STC chief Aidarus al-Zubaidi to declare independence and appealed for international recognition for the breakaway state. Analysts say the break between Hadi's government and the separatists reflects a wider split between the main partners in the coalition, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, that threatens to undermine their common battle against the Huthis. After four and a half years of military intervention, the rebels remain in control of the capital Sanaa and much of the more populous north. The conflict has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people and displaced some 3.3 million. Two-thirds of the population -- some 20 million people -- require humanitarian support, according to the United Nations.

Thousands march in Yemen's Aden for independent south

Yemen's southern separatists have taken effective control of Aden, seat of the internationally recognised government, fracturing the Saudi-led coalition which is trying to break the grip of the Iran-aligned Houthi movement on the country.

In a move that complicates efforts by the United Nations to end a four-year war, the separatists seized control of all government military camps in the southern port city on Saturday, officials said. A separatist military commander later said they had also taken the all-but empty presidential palace.

"What is happening in the temporary (government) capital of Aden by the Southern Transitional Council is a coup against institutions of the internationally recognised government," the foreign ministry said in a Twitter post.

Although they have a rival agenda to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government on the future of Yemen, the separatists have been part of the Saudi-led pro-government coalition that has been battling the Houthis since March 2015.

The war has killed tens of thousands and pushed the poorest Arabian Peninsula nation to the brink of famine.

Four days of clashes between the separatists and government forces have killed at least nine civilians and more than 20 combatants, according to medical sources. The fighting, which trapped civilians in their homes with dwindling water supplies, resumed at dawn on Saturday but has since abated.

"It is all over, the (Southern Transitional Council) forces are in control of all the military camps," an official in Hadi's government told Reuters.

The separatist commander, speaking in a video message circulated by the movement's supporters, said their forces had not encountered resistance at the palace, located in the predominantly residential Crater district. A witness told Reuters the separatists were now inside the palace.

The separatists also took over the house of Interior Minister Ahmed al-Mayssari after he was evacuated by coalition forces, government officials said. President Hadi is based in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

There was no immediate comment from the Western-backed, Sunni Muslim coalition led by Saudi Arabia that intervened after the Houthis ousted Hadi's government from power in the capital Sanaa in late 2014.

Alliance member the United Arab Emirates, which has armed and trained thousands of southern separatist fighters, earlier called for calm and a renewed focus on opposing the Houthis.

Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed urged UN&nbsp;special envoy Martin Griffiths, who is trying to de-escalate tensions across Yemen, "to deploy efforts and exert pressure" to that purpose.

Coalition's hand weakened

The clashes between government forces and separatists began on Wednesday after the latter accused an Islamist party allied to Hadi of complicity in a missile attack on a southern forces military parade in Aden, which was claimed by the Houthis.

Analysts say the Houthis may have used the attack to test dynamics on the ground after the UAE in June scaled down its presence under pressure from Western allies to end the war and concerns about rising tensions with Iran in the Gulf.

The separatists move against Hadi could weaken the coalition's hand in any negotiations with the Houthis to form a transitional government to end the war.

"It's good news for the Houthis and really bad news for the Saudis ... It ends the exclusivity of the Houthis being the coup against Hadi," Farea al-Muslimi, an associate fellow at Chatham House, told Reuters.

The Houthi's deputy foreign minister said on Saturday that the events in Aden proved Hadi's government, which holds Aden and a string of western coastal towns, was not fit to rule.

"It is time for the main powers on the ground to hold serious and constructive talks to take Yemen towards a federation that appeases all sides under a united national framework," Hussein al-Azzi tweeted.

The UN is trying to implement a stalled peace deal in the main port city of Hodeidah, further to the north, to pave the way for wider political negotiations to end the war.

The Houthis, who control Sanaa, Hodeidah and other urban centres, have stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities, complicating the UN's efforts to implement the troop withdrawal deal in Hodeidah that was reached between the Houthis and Hadi's government in Sweden in December.

The Yemen conflict is widely seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Houthis say their revolution is against corruption.

Yemen's southern separatists have taken effective control of Aden, seat of the internationally recognised government, fracturing the Saudi-led coalition which is trying to break the grip of the Iran-aligned Houthi movement on the country.

Yemen's southern separatists have taken effective control of Aden, seat of the internationally recognised government, fracturing the Saudi-led coalition which is trying to break the grip of the Iran-aligned Houthi movement on the country. In a move that complicates efforts by the United Nations to end a four-year war, the separatists seized control of all government military camps in the southern port city on Saturday, officials said. A separatist military commander later said they had also taken the all-but empty presidential palace. "What is happening in the temporary (government) capital of Aden by the Southern Transitional Council is a coup against institutions of the internationally recognised government," the foreign ministry said in a Twitter post. Although they have a rival agenda to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government on the future of Yemen, the separatists have been part of the Saudi-led pro-government coalition that has been battling the Houthis since March 2015. The war has killed tens of thousands and pushed the poorest Arabian Peninsula nation to the brink of famine. Four days of clashes between the separatists and government forces have killed at least nine civilians and more than 20 combatants, according to medical sources. The fighting, which trapped civilians in their homes with dwindling water supplies, resumed at dawn on Saturday but has since abated. "It is all over, the (Southern Transitional Council) forces are in control of all the military camps," an official in Hadi's government told Reuters. The separatist commander, speaking in a video message circulated by the movement's supporters, said their forces had not encountered resistance at the palace, located in the predominantly residential Crater district. A witness told Reuters the separatists were now inside the palace. The separatists also took over the house of Interior Minister Ahmed al-Mayssari after he was evacuated by coalition forces, government officials said. President Hadi is based in the Saudi capital Riyadh. There was no immediate comment from the Western-backed, Sunni Muslim coalition led by Saudi Arabia that intervened after the Houthis ousted Hadi's government from power in the capital Sanaa in late 2014. Alliance member the United Arab Emirates, which has armed and trained thousands of southern separatist fighters, earlier called for calm and a renewed focus on opposing the Houthis. Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed urged UN special envoy Martin Griffiths, who is trying to de-escalate tensions across Yemen, "to deploy efforts and exert pressure" to that purpose. Coalition's hand weakened The clashes between government forces and separatists began on Wednesday after the latter accused an Islamist party allied to Hadi of complicity in a missile attack on a southern forces military parade in Aden, which was claimed by the Houthis. Analysts say the Houthis may have used the attack to test dynamics on the ground after the UAE in June scaled down its presence under pressure from Western allies to end the war and concerns about rising tensions with Iran in the Gulf. The separatists move against Hadi could weaken the coalition's hand in any negotiations with the Houthis to form a transitional government to end the war. "It's good news for the Houthis and really bad news for the Saudis ... It ends the exclusivity of the Houthis being the coup against Hadi," Farea al-Muslimi, an associate fellow at Chatham House, told Reuters. The Houthi's deputy foreign minister said on Saturday that the events in Aden proved Hadi's government, which holds Aden and a string of western coastal towns, was not fit to rule. "It is time for the main powers on the ground to hold serious and constructive talks to take Yemen towards a federation that appeases all sides under a united national framework," Hussein al-Azzi tweeted. The UN is trying to implement a stalled peace deal in the main port city of Hodeidah, further to the north, to pave the way for wider political negotiations to end the war. The Houthis, who control Sanaa, Hodeidah and other urban centres, have stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities, complicating the UN's efforts to implement the troop withdrawal deal in Hodeidah that was reached between the Houthis and Hadi's government in Sweden in December. The Yemen conflict is widely seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Houthis say their revolution is against corruption.

Yemen’s pro-government coalition fractures as separatists grab control in Aden

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement said it launched missile and drone attacks on Thursday on a military parade in Aden, the seat of the Saudi-backed government, killing several people including a commander.

Houthi attack on military parade in Yemen kills more than 30: Sources

The UN's World Food Programme has warned that aid could be suspended to areas of Yemen under the control of Huthi rebels unless they abide by accords aimed at ensuring that supplies are not diverted.

"If the beneficiary targeting and biometric exercise is not carried out as agreed, WFP will be left with no option but to suspend food distributions in the areas controlled by Ansarullah," the Huthis, David Beasley, the agency's executive director, wrote in a letter sent to the rebel movement.

He was referring to accords the WFP signed with the warring parties in December and January.

Herve Verhoosel, a spokesman for the WFP's Geneva office, said Monday that the letter was hand-delivered to the Huthi leadership in Yemen.

It was "the second letter WFP has sent requesting greater access", he said.

"WFP noted some progress after the first letter was sent in December, but in recent weeks that progress has halted and in some cases it has been reversed."

The Rome-headquartered WFP lamented that in Yemen "our greatest challenge does not come from the guns... it is the obstructive and uncooperative role of some of the Huthi leaders in areas under their control."

"Humanitarian workers in Yemen are being denied access to the hungry, aid convoys have been blocked, and local authorities have interfered with food distribution," the WFP said in a statement.

"Most importantly, there have been repeated obstacles placed in the way of our independent selection of beneficiaries and a request for a rollout of a biometric registration system."

"This has to stop," WFP said.

The Yemen conflict has killed tens of thousands of people since a Saudi-led military coalition intervened in support of the beleaguered government in March 2015, according to the World Health Organisation.

The fighting has triggered what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with 3.3 million people still displaced and 24.1 million -- more than two-thirds of the population -- in need of aid.

The UN's World Food Programme has warned that aid could be suspended to areas of Yemen under the control of Huthi rebels unless they abide by accords aimed at ensuring that supplies are not diverted.

The UN's World Food Programme has warned that aid could be suspended to areas of Yemen under the control of Huthi rebels unless they abide by accords aimed at ensuring that supplies are not diverted. "If the beneficiary targeting and biometric exercise is not carried out as agreed, WFP will be left with no option but to suspend food distributions in the areas controlled by Ansarullah," the Huthis, David Beasley, the agency's executive director, wrote in a letter sent to the rebel movement. He was referring to accords the WFP signed with the warring parties in December and January. Herve Verhoosel, a spokesman for the WFP's Geneva office, said Monday that the letter was hand-delivered to the Huthi leadership in Yemen. It was "the second letter WFP has sent requesting greater access", he said. "WFP noted some progress after the first letter was sent in December, but in recent weeks that progress has halted and in some cases it has been reversed." The Rome-headquartered WFP lamented that in Yemen "our greatest challenge does not come from the guns... it is the obstructive and uncooperative role of some of the Huthi leaders in areas under their control." "Humanitarian workers in Yemen are being denied access to the hungry, aid convoys have been blocked, and local authorities have interfered with food distribution," the WFP said in a statement. "Most importantly, there have been repeated obstacles placed in the way of our independent selection of beneficiaries and a request for a rollout of a biometric registration system." "This has to stop," WFP said. The Yemen conflict has killed tens of thousands of people since a Saudi-led military coalition intervened in support of the beleaguered government in March 2015, according to the World Health Organisation. The fighting has triggered what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with 3.3 million people still displaced and 24.1 million -- more than two-thirds of the population -- in need of aid.

United Nations warns aid to Yemen could be suspended

The United Arab Emirates announced Sunday it would deposit $250 million in Sudan's central bank as part of a support package for the country following the overthrow of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir.

The government-owned Abu Dhabi Fund for Development signed an agreement with the Sudanese central bank "confirming the deposit", the UAE's official WAM news agency said.&nbsp;

Last week, Saudi Arabia and the UAE announced three billion dollars (2.7 billion euros) in financial aid for Sudan.

The oil-rich Gulf states pledged to inject $500 million into the Sudanese central bank and $2.5 billion to help provide food, medicine and petroleum products, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The deposit for the central bank was aimed at shoring up the Sudanese pound, the SPA said.&nbsp;

In recent years Sudan has been hit by an acute lack of dollars, a key factor behind the nationwide protests that led to the toppling of Bashir by the army this month.

Sudan plays a key role in the regional interests of Saudi Arabia and its allies, siding with Riyadh against Shiite Iran and providing troops in the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen's war.

Both Gulf nations have voiced backing for Sudan's military rulers, who are facing calls from protesters to cede power to a civilian transitional government.

The Sudanese currency had plunged even after the United States lifted its 20-year-old trade embargo on the country in October 2017.

Expectations that the end of US sanctions would bring an economic recovery failed to materialise, putting pressure on the pound.

The country's economic crisis has deepened since the secession of South Sudan in 2011 that took away the bulk of oil earnings.

The United Arab Emirates announced Sunday it would deposit $250 million in Sudan's central bank as part of a support package for the country following the overthrow of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir.

The United Arab Emirates announced Sunday it would deposit $250 million in Sudan's central bank as part of a support package for the country following the overthrow of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir. The government-owned Abu Dhabi Fund for Development signed an agreement with the Sudanese central bank "confirming the deposit", the UAE's official WAM news agency said. Last week, Saudi Arabia and the UAE announced three billion dollars (2.7 billion euros) in financial aid for Sudan. The oil-rich Gulf states pledged to inject $500 million into the Sudanese central bank and $2.5 billion to help provide food, medicine and petroleum products, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The deposit for the central bank was aimed at shoring up the Sudanese pound, the SPA said. In recent years Sudan has been hit by an acute lack of dollars, a key factor behind the nationwide protests that led to the toppling of Bashir by the army this month. Sudan plays a key role in the regional interests of Saudi Arabia and its allies, siding with Riyadh against Shiite Iran and providing troops in the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen's war. Both Gulf nations have voiced backing for Sudan's military rulers, who are facing calls from protesters to cede power to a civilian transitional government. The Sudanese currency had plunged even after the United States lifted its 20-year-old trade embargo on the country in October 2017. Expectations that the end of US sanctions would bring an economic recovery failed to materialise, putting pressure on the pound. The country's economic crisis has deepened since the secession of South Sudan in 2011 that took away the bulk of oil earnings.

UAE to deposit $250 million in Sudan's central bank

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/president-trump-vetoes-resolution-calling-to-end-us-support-in-yemen-war-211018">President Trump vetoes resolution calling to end US support in Yemen war</a>

President Donald Trump has vetoed a congressional resolution that sought to end US involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen, the White House said on Tuesday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-worlds-biggest-one-day-election-indonesia-votes-for-its-president-211029">In world's biggest one-day election, Indonesia votes for its president</a>

Indonesians began voting in the&nbsp;world's biggest single-day election&nbsp;on Wednesday as polling stations opened across the sprawling equatorial archipelago following a six-month campaign to choose a new president and parliament.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/only-strong-can-talk-about-peace-nobody-listens-to-a-weak-nation-pm-modi-in-odisha-211021">Only strong can talk about peace, nobody listens to a weak nation: PM Modi in Odisha</a>

Prime Minister&nbsp;Narendra Modi&nbsp;Tuesday slammed the Congress for being "soft" towards terrorism for 40 years and said India can now talk about peace after it exhibited the strength by destroying terror camps across the border.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bahrain-jails-138-for-planning-iran-linked-terror-group-211019">Bahrain jails 138 for planning Iran-linked 'terror' group</a>

The Gulf state of Bahrain Tuesday jailed 138 people and revoked their citizenship for plotting to form a "terror" group with links to&nbsp;Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the public prosecutor said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-737-max-software-upgrade-operationally-suitable-faa-panel-211034">Boeing 737 MAX software upgrade 'operationally suitable': FAA panel</a>

A review by a&nbsp;US&nbsp;Federal Aviation Administration panel into Boeing Co's grounded 737 MAX aircraft found a planned software update and training revisions to be "operationally suitable," the agency said Tuesday, an important milestone in getting the planes back in the air.

President Trump vetoes resolution calling to end US support in Yemen war President Donald Trump has vetoed a congressional resolution that sought to end US involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen, the White House said on Tuesday.

President Trump vetoes resolution calling to end US support in Yemen war President Donald Trump has vetoed a congressional resolution that sought to end US involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen, the White House said on Tuesday. In world's biggest one-day election, Indonesia votes for its president Indonesians began voting in the world's biggest single-day election on Wednesday as polling stations opened across the sprawling equatorial archipelago following a six-month campaign to choose a new president and parliament. Only strong can talk about peace, nobody listens to a weak nation: PM Modi in Odisha Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday slammed the Congress for being "soft" towards terrorism for 40 years and said India can now talk about peace after it exhibited the strength by destroying terror camps across the border. Bahrain jails 138 for planning Iran-linked 'terror' group The Gulf state of Bahrain Tuesday jailed 138 people and revoked their citizenship for plotting to form a "terror" group with links to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the public prosecutor said. Boeing 737 MAX software upgrade 'operationally suitable': FAA panel A review by a US Federal Aviation Administration panel into Boeing Co's grounded 737 MAX aircraft found a planned software update and training revisions to be "operationally suitable," the agency said Tuesday, an important milestone in getting the planes back in the air.

News brief: Big stories of the day

President Donald Trump has vetoed a bill Congress passed to end the United State's military assistance in the Saudi Arabia-led war in Yemen.

Donald Trump vetoes bill to end US involvement in Yemen war

President Donald Trump has vetoed a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-congress-ends-support-for-yemen-war-trump-likely-to-veto-move-207976">congressional resolution</a> that sought to end US involvement in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/starving-girl-shows-impact-of-yemen-war-economic-collapse-197909">Saudi-led war in Yemen,</a> the White House said on Tuesday.

"This resolution is an unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my constitutional authorities, endangering the lives of American citizens and brave service members, both today and in the future," Trump said in the veto message.

The resolution passed the House of Representatives in April and the Senate in March, marking the first time both chambers of Congress had supported a War Powers resolution, which limits the president`s ability to send troops into action.

Neither the 247-175 tally in the Democratic-majority House nor the 54-46 vote in the Republican-led Senate would be enough to override the veto, which would require two-thirds majorities in both chambers.
<img alt="Yemen War" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="12878aed-72d7-49c1-b319-d26269e49153" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Yemen%20War.JPG" />
A Houthi militant walks through a government compound following Saudi-led air strikes, in the northwestern city of Amran in July 2015. (Reuters Photo) 
 
Backers of the measure said the Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen had made the humanitarian crisis worse, harshly criticizing Riyadh for killing civilians.

They also argued that US involvement in Yemen violated the constitutional requirement that Congress, not the president, should determine when the country goes to war.

The four-year-long civil war in Yemen, which pits the Saudi-led coalition against Houthi rebels backed by Iran, has killed tens of thousands of people and spawned what the United Nations calls the world's most dire humanitarian crisis, with the country on the brink of famine.

President Donald Trump has vetoed a congressional resolution that sought to end US involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen, the White House said on Tuesday. "This resolution is an unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my constitutional authorities, endangering the lives of American citizens and brave service members, both today and in the future," Trump said in the veto message.

President Donald Trump has vetoed a congressional resolution that sought to end US involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen, the White House said on Tuesday. "This resolution is an unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my constitutional authorities, endangering the lives of American citizens and brave service members, both today and in the future," Trump said in the veto message. The resolution passed the House of Representatives in April and the Senate in March, marking the first time both chambers of Congress had supported a War Powers resolution, which limits the president`s ability to send troops into action. Neither the 247-175 tally in the Democratic-majority House nor the 54-46 vote in the Republican-led Senate would be enough to override the veto, which would require two-thirds majorities in both chambers. A Houthi militant walks through a government compound following Saudi-led air strikes, in the northwestern city of Amran in July 2015. (Reuters Photo) Backers of the measure said the Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen had made the humanitarian crisis worse, harshly criticizing Riyadh for killing civilians. They also argued that US involvement in Yemen violated the constitutional requirement that Congress, not the president, should determine when the country goes to war. The four-year-long civil war in Yemen, which pits the Saudi-led coalition against Houthi rebels backed by Iran, has killed tens of thousands of people and spawned what the United Nations calls the world's most dire humanitarian crisis, with the country on the brink of famine.

President Trump vetoes resolution calling to end US support in Yemen war

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is calling on President Donald Trump to sign into law a resolution ending American involvement in the war in Yemen.

Historic resolution to end US role in Yemen war

The US House voted Thursday to end military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, dealing a bipartisan rebuke to Donald Trump and taking the historic step of curtailing a president's war-making powers.

The House of Representatives voted 247 to 175, with one congressman voting present, to approve a resolution that directs the president "to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in or affecting the Republic of Yemen" within 30 days.

The text, which passed the Senate last month, now heads to Trump, who is expected to veto the legislation. The White House called the measure "flawed" and warned it would harm bilateral relations in the region, including with Saudi Arabia.

The US House voted Thursday to end military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, dealing a bipartisan rebuke to Donald Trump and taking the historic step of curtailing a president's war-making powers.

The US House voted Thursday to end military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, dealing a bipartisan rebuke to Donald Trump and taking the historic step of curtailing a president's war-making powers. The House of Representatives voted 247 to 175, with one congressman voting present, to approve a resolution that directs the president "to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in or affecting the Republic of Yemen" within 30 days. The text, which passed the Senate last month, now heads to Trump, who is expected to veto the legislation. The White House called the measure "flawed" and warned it would harm bilateral relations in the region, including with Saudi Arabia.

US Congress ends support for Yemen war, Trump likely to veto move

Much of the Middle East’s recent turmoil stems from internecine Middle Eastern rivalries spilling onto third country battlefields and Saudi and United Arab Emirates-led efforts to roll back the achievements of the 2011 popular Arab revolts and pre-empt further uprisings.

This week’s successful toppling of ailing Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and months of anti-government demonstrations that have put Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir on the defensive suggest that the Saudi-UAE effort may be faltering.

So does the record of the past eight years. The counterrevolution’s one success, Egypt, has produced some of the harshest repression in the country’s history.

Saudi and UAE intervention in Yemen has sparked one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, tarnished the image of the two Gulf states, and provided an opportunity to Iran to expand its network of regional proxies.

In a twist of irony, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, who justify the Yemen war by pointing to an invitation by the internationally recognised exile government of &nbsp;President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, support the rebel forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar in Libya.

Haftar’s forces are poised to march on Tripoli, the seat of the United Nations-recognised government of Libya, two weeks after the field marshal met with King Salman in Saudi Arabia. The fighting in Libya has turned into a proxy war between Gulf rivals with Qatar supporting the Islamist-dominated Tripoli government.

In Syria, rivals Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, who exasperated the country’s eight-year-long devastating civil war by backing rival rebel forces, are back to square one: the man they wanted to remove from office, president Bashar al-Assad, has gained the upper hand with the support of Russia and Iran.

The protests in Algeria and Sudan suggest that the social, economic and political grievances that fuelled the 2011 protests continue to hover just below the surface in a swath of land that stretches from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Gulf.

Like in 2011, protests in the Middle East are not isolated incidents but the most dramatic part of a more global wave prompted by a loss of public confidence in leaders and political systems that have sparked anti-government demonstrations in countries as far-flung as Zimbabwe and Haiti.

The Algerian and Sudanese protests come on the back of a wave of smaller, political and socio-economic protests since 2011 that suggested that the Middle Eastern counterrevolution amounted to putting a lid on a pot that could boil over at any moment. Protests have erupted in recent years in a host of countries, including Iraq, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia.

The protests also suggest the fragility of hopes of Middle Eastern autocrats that China’s model of successfully growing the economy, creating jobs and opportunity, and delivering public goods coupled with increased political control and suppression of rights would prove to be a sustainable model in their own backyard.

The fragility of the model is enhanced by the tendency of autocrats to overreach in ways that either distract from their core goals or pursue objectives like the creation of a ‘new man’ that ultimately have failed in countries like Turkey.

Turkey’s Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been in power for the better part of two decades. Its success suggests that the effort to create a secular New Turk by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the visionary who carved modern Turkey out of the ruins of the Ottoman empire almost a century ago, has stumbled.

Egyptian general-turned president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have taken control and civilisationalism to new extremes by seeking not only absolute political power but also the ability to shape culture and dictate personal behaviour.

Al-Sisi recently ordered his officials to dictate the themes and scripts of Egyptian soap operas, a popular regional staple, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan. A military-linked production company has taken charge of some of Egypt’s biggest and most successful shows.

Film directors have been instructed to focus on shows that praise the military and law enforcement and demonize the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that has been brutally targeted by Al-Sisi as well as the UAE that together with Saudi Arabia backed his 2013 military coup. The coup toppled Mohammed Morsi, a Brother and Egypt’s first and only democratically elected president.

Xi’s hopes to promote ‘core socialist values’ such as patriotism, harmony and civility amounts to an effort to counter individualism, materialism and hedonism. The campaign involves blurring piercings and jewellery worn by male pop stars during performances on television and the Internet, obliging soccer players to wear long sleeves to cover their tattoos, and ensuring that women conference hosts raise their necklines and rappers restrict their lyrics to the promotion of peace and harmony.

Saudi Arabia has argued that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul six months ago by rogue government operatives who are currently standing trial in a process that lacks transparency and has called into question the kingdom’s version of events.

The overreach suggests that Middle Eastern autocrats are unlikely to respond to the protests in Algeria and Sudan any differently than they did in 2011.

Analyst Giorgio Cafiero predicts that in the wake of Bouteflika’s resignation, Saudi Arabia is likely to support efforts to maintain control by what Algerians call Le Pouvoir (The Power) or the deep state, a cabal of military and security officials and business tycoons, The same is likely to be true for the UAE.

Similarly, Saudi Arabia and the UAE alongside Egypt continue to back Al-Bashir although he is on the defensive after months of protests that have rocked the East African state.

Whether Algeria’s ancient regime backed by Gulf states is able to retain power may well be dependent on what conclusions protesters draw from the experience of the 2011 revolts.

Like the protesters then, Algerian demonstrators need to decide whether Bouteflika’s resignation is a sufficient enough success to justify the surrender of their street power and return to a structured political process.

Indications are that the protesters have learnt their lesson.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

Much of the Middle East’s recent turmoil stems from internecine Middle Eastern rivalries spilling onto third country battlefields and Saudi and United Arab Emirates-led efforts to roll back the achievements of the 2011 popular Arab revolts and pre-empt further uprisings.

Much of the Middle East’s recent turmoil stems from internecine Middle Eastern rivalries spilling onto third country battlefields and Saudi and United Arab Emirates-led efforts to roll back the achievements of the 2011 popular Arab revolts and pre-empt further uprisings. This week’s successful toppling of ailing Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and months of anti-government demonstrations that have put Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir on the defensive suggest that the Saudi-UAE effort may be faltering. So does the record of the past eight years. The counterrevolution’s one success, Egypt, has produced some of the harshest repression in the country’s history. Saudi and UAE intervention in Yemen has sparked one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, tarnished the image of the two Gulf states, and provided an opportunity to Iran to expand its network of regional proxies. In a twist of irony, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, who justify the Yemen war by pointing to an invitation by the internationally recognised exile government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, support the rebel forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar in Libya. Haftar’s forces are poised to march on Tripoli, the seat of the United Nations-recognised government of Libya, two weeks after the field marshal met with King Salman in Saudi Arabia. The fighting in Libya has turned into a proxy war between Gulf rivals with Qatar supporting the Islamist-dominated Tripoli government. In Syria, rivals Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, who exasperated the country’s eight-year-long devastating civil war by backing rival rebel forces, are back to square one: the man they wanted to remove from office, president Bashar al-Assad, has gained the upper hand with the support of Russia and Iran. The protests in Algeria and Sudan suggest that the social, economic and political grievances that fuelled the 2011 protests continue to hover just below the surface in a swath of land that stretches from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Gulf. Like in 2011, protests in the Middle East are not isolated incidents but the most dramatic part of a more global wave prompted by a loss of public confidence in leaders and political systems that have sparked anti-government demonstrations in countries as far-flung as Zimbabwe and Haiti. The Algerian and Sudanese protests come on the back of a wave of smaller, political and socio-economic protests since 2011 that suggested that the Middle Eastern counterrevolution amounted to putting a lid on a pot that could boil over at any moment. Protests have erupted in recent years in a host of countries, including Iraq, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia. The protests also suggest the fragility of hopes of Middle Eastern autocrats that China’s model of successfully growing the economy, creating jobs and opportunity, and delivering public goods coupled with increased political control and suppression of rights would prove to be a sustainable model in their own backyard. The fragility of the model is enhanced by the tendency of autocrats to overreach in ways that either distract from their core goals or pursue objectives like the creation of a ‘new man’ that ultimately have failed in countries like Turkey. Turkey’s Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been in power for the better part of two decades. Its success suggests that the effort to create a secular New Turk by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the visionary who carved modern Turkey out of the ruins of the Ottoman empire almost a century ago, has stumbled. Egyptian general-turned president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have taken control and civilisationalism to new extremes by seeking not only absolute political power but also the ability to shape culture and dictate personal behaviour. Al-Sisi recently ordered his officials to dictate the themes and scripts of Egyptian soap operas, a popular regional staple, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan. A military-linked production company has taken charge of some of Egypt’s biggest and most successful shows. Film directors have been instructed to focus on shows that praise the military and law enforcement and demonize the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that has been brutally targeted by Al-Sisi as well as the UAE that together with Saudi Arabia backed his 2013 military coup. The coup toppled Mohammed Morsi, a Brother and Egypt’s first and only democratically elected president. Xi’s hopes to promote ‘core socialist values’ such as patriotism, harmony and civility amounts to an effort to counter individualism, materialism and hedonism. The campaign involves blurring piercings and jewellery worn by male pop stars during performances on television and the Internet, obliging soccer players to wear long sleeves to cover their tattoos, and ensuring that women conference hosts raise their necklines and rappers restrict their lyrics to the promotion of peace and harmony. Saudi Arabia has argued that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul six months ago by rogue government operatives who are currently standing trial in a process that lacks transparency and has called into question the kingdom’s version of events. The overreach suggests that Middle Eastern autocrats are unlikely to respond to the protests in Algeria and Sudan any differently than they did in 2011. Analyst Giorgio Cafiero predicts that in the wake of Bouteflika’s resignation, Saudi Arabia is likely to support efforts to maintain control by what Algerians call Le Pouvoir (The Power) or the deep state, a cabal of military and security officials and business tycoons, The same is likely to be true for the UAE. Similarly, Saudi Arabia and the UAE alongside Egypt continue to back Al-Bashir although he is on the defensive after months of protests that have rocked the East African state. Whether Algeria’s ancient regime backed by Gulf states is able to retain power may well be dependent on what conclusions protesters draw from the experience of the 2011 revolts. Like the protesters then, Algerian demonstrators need to decide whether Bouteflika’s resignation is a sufficient enough success to justify the surrender of their street power and return to a structured political process. Indications are that the protesters have learnt their lesson. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Middle Eastern rivalries spilling on the battlefields

The UN human rights chief warned Wednesday that children in Yemen continued to be killed and maimed at an alarming rate, despite a<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/defying-trump-senate-votes-to-end-us-support-for-yemen-war-203188"> three-month-old truce in a vital port</a>.

"Since the Stockholm agreement on December 13, it is estimated that eight children have been killed or injured in Yemen every day," Michelle Bachelet told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Yemen's beleaguered Saudi-backed government and Iranian-linked Huthi rebels agreed in Sweden on a truce that included a ceasefire in Hodeida, the lifeline port on the Red Sea.

But Bachelet said children were currently living in 31 active conflict zones across the country, and witnessing "heavy, war-related violence", including in Taez, Hajjah and Saada.

The Norwegian Refugee Council said earlier this week that 348 civilians had been killed in Hajjah and Taez alone since the Stockholm accord was signed.&nbsp;

The UN rights chief voiced particular concern at the recent escalation in the northern province of Hajjah, where 22 people -- 12 children and 10 women -- were killed, and another 30, nearly half of them children, were hurt in strikes earlier this month.

An estimated 10,000 people have been killed since March 2015, when Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- with the logistical and political backing of the United States -- unleashed air power against the Huthi rebels.

Rights groups say the death toll could be far higher. Save the Children has estimated that 85,000 Yemenis under five years old may have died of starvation.

Bachelet said it was unclear how many children had starved to death in Yemen but warned that "Yemeni civilians, including children, are now more vulnerable and hungrier than at any time since March 2015".

She said more than two million children were suffering from acute malnutrition, including 360,000 with severe, acute malnutrition, meaning they are wasting away and risk starvation.

Bachelet also voiced deep concern at reports that both the government-backed forces and the Huthis were continuing to enlist children as fighters.

"In most cases, the children are between 11 and 17 years old, but there have been consistent reports of the recruitment or use of children as young as eight," she said.&nbsp;

The UN human rights chief warned Wednesday that children in Yemen continued to be killed and maimed at an alarming rate, despite a three-month-old truce in a vital port.

The UN human rights chief warned Wednesday that children in Yemen continued to be killed and maimed at an alarming rate, despite a three-month-old truce in a vital port. "Since the Stockholm agreement on December 13, it is estimated that eight children have been killed or injured in Yemen every day," Michelle Bachelet told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Yemen's beleaguered Saudi-backed government and Iranian-linked Huthi rebels agreed in Sweden on a truce that included a ceasefire in Hodeida, the lifeline port on the Red Sea. But Bachelet said children were currently living in 31 active conflict zones across the country, and witnessing "heavy, war-related violence", including in Taez, Hajjah and Saada. The Norwegian Refugee Council said earlier this week that 348 civilians had been killed in Hajjah and Taez alone since the Stockholm accord was signed. The UN rights chief voiced particular concern at the recent escalation in the northern province of Hajjah, where 22 people -- 12 children and 10 women -- were killed, and another 30, nearly half of them children, were hurt in strikes earlier this month. An estimated 10,000 people have been killed since March 2015, when Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- with the logistical and political backing of the United States -- unleashed air power against the Huthi rebels. Rights groups say the death toll could be far higher. Save the Children has estimated that 85,000 Yemenis under five years old may have died of starvation. Bachelet said it was unclear how many children had starved to death in Yemen but warned that "Yemeni civilians, including children, are now more vulnerable and hungrier than at any time since March 2015". She said more than two million children were suffering from acute malnutrition, including 360,000 with severe, acute malnutrition, meaning they are wasting away and risk starvation. Bachelet also voiced deep concern at reports that both the government-backed forces and the Huthis were continuing to enlist children as fighters. "In most cases, the children are between 11 and 17 years old, but there have been consistent reports of the recruitment or use of children as young as eight," she said.

Eight children killed or hurt every day, despite Yemen truce: United Nations

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/were-disappointed-says-india-after-china-blocks-move-to-designate-masood-azhar-as-a-global-terrorist-203180">We're disappointed, says India after China blocks move to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist</a>

India on Wednesday night expressed "disappointment" after&nbsp;China blocked&nbsp;yet another move at the United Nations to designate Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's&nbsp;chief Masood Azhar&nbsp;as a "global terrorist".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-joins-other-nations-in-grounding-737-max-jets-after-second-crash-203179">US joins other nations in grounding 737 MAX jets after Ethiopian Airlines plane</a>

The United States on Wednesday joined Europe, China and other countries in grounding&nbsp;Boeing Co's 737 MAX jets, because of safety concerns after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people, the second disaster involving the 737 in less than five months.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-prosecutors-probing-facebooks-data-deals-report-203195">US prosecutors probing Facebook's data deals: Report</a>

US federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation into data deals Facebook Inc&nbsp;struck with some of the world's largest technology companies, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/defying-trump-senate-votes-to-end-us-support-for-yemen-war-203188">Defying Trump, Senate votes to end US support for Yemen war</a>

The US Senate on Wednesday dealt a stinging bipartisan rebuke to Donald Trump's foreign policy and his alliance with Riyadh, voting to end support for the bloody Saudi-led&nbsp;war effort in Yemen.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-united-states-agree-to-develop-six-nuclear-power-plants-in-india-203196">India, </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-united-states-agree-to-develop-six-nuclear-power-plants-in-india-203196">United</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-united-states-agree-to-develop-six-nuclear-power-plants-in-india-203196"> States agree to develop six nuclear power plants in India</a>

The United States and India on Wednesday agreed to strengthen security and civil nuclear cooperation, including building six US&nbsp;nuclear power plants in India,&nbsp;the two countries said in a joint statement.

We're disappointed, says India after China blocks move to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist India on Wednesday night expressed "disappointment" after China blocked yet another move at the United Nations to designate Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's chief Masood Azhar as a "global terrorist".

We're disappointed, says India after China blocks move to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist India on Wednesday night expressed "disappointment" after China blocked yet another move at the United Nations to designate Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's chief Masood Azhar as a "global terrorist". US joins other nations in grounding 737 MAX jets after Ethiopian Airlines plane The United States on Wednesday joined Europe, China and other countries in grounding Boeing Co's 737 MAX jets, because of safety concerns after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people, the second disaster involving the 737 in less than five months. US prosecutors probing Facebook's data deals: Report US federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation into data deals Facebook Inc struck with some of the world's largest technology companies, the New York Times reported on Wednesday. Defying Trump, Senate votes to end US support for Yemen war The US Senate on Wednesday dealt a stinging bipartisan rebuke to Donald Trump's foreign policy and his alliance with Riyadh, voting to end support for the bloody Saudi-led war effort in Yemen. India, United States agree to develop six nuclear power plants in India The United States and India on Wednesday agreed to strengthen security and civil nuclear cooperation, including building six US nuclear power plants in India, the two countries said in a joint statement.

The US Senate on Wednesday dealt a stinging bipartisan rebuke to Donald Trump's foreign policy and his alliance with Riyadh, voting to end support for the bloody Saudi-led <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/un-warns-a-generation-could-become-lost-to-hunger-in-yemen-197341">war effort in Yemen</a>.

Lawmakers in the Republican-controlled chamber approved a historic curtailment of presidential war powers that directs Trump "to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in or affecting the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/west-asia/in-yemen-a-child-dies-every-10-minutes-from-easily-preventable-diseases-175690">Republic of Yemen</a>" within 30 days.

The Senate vote was 54 to 46, with seven Republicans defying the president and aligning with Democrats.

The text now heads to the Democrat-led House of Representatives, which approved a similar measure that stalled earlier this year, and which is likely to pass the latest effort.

The White House has threatened a veto, calling the measure "flawed" and saying it would harm bilateral relationships in the region and hurt Washington's ability to fight extremism.

But its full passage would set a historic marker. It would be the first measure passed by Congress to invoke the 1973 War Powers Resolution to directly curtail a president's use of military powers.

"Today, we begin the process of reclaiming our constitutional power by ending US involvement in a war that has not been authorized by Congress and is clearly unconstitutional," Senator Bernie Sanders, who is running for president in 2020 and is a sponsor of the measure, said on the Senate floor.

Republican Senator Mike Lee concurred, saying Saudi Arabia "is not an ally that deserves our support or our military intervention."

The Saudis, he said, "are likely using our own weapons... to commit these atrocities of war. That's not OK."

The war in Yemen is the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with an estimated 14 million people at risk of famine.&nbsp;

The World Health Organization says about 10,000 people have been killed in the war between forces loyal to the Yemeni government, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, and the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels. Rights groups say the death toll is far higher.

The United States provides weapons and refueling to the Saudi coalition.

Two days, two rebukes?

The resolution is a reminder that Congress has the legal ability to compel the removal of US military forces, absent a formal declaration of war.

Should it pass Congress, it could force Trump to issue the first veto of his tenure.

The vote may well be the first of two congressional rebukes of Trump in as many days.&nbsp;

On Thursday, the Senate is expected to vote on a resolution -- already passed by the House -- to reverse Trump's emergency declaration on border security, after the president went around Congress in a bid to secure more funding for his wall between the United States and Mexico.

In that case too, he has promised to use his veto.

Wednesday's Yemen vote, and the rare bipartisanship at the heart of it, came as US lawmakers have escalated their opposition to Saudi Arabia after the October murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul.&nbsp;

Republicans and Democrats alike have bristled over the White House's apparent embrace of the kingdom and its leadership.

Some members of Congress have publicly stated that they suspect that powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was directly responsible for the killing, based on the CIA's conclusions.

Sanders, using unusually blunt language about an American ally, said the United States should not "simply follow the despotic lead of a government in Saudi Arabia."&nbsp;

"We will determine our military and foreign pol and not be led around by a murderous regime," he said.

The US Senate on Wednesday dealt a stinging bipartisan rebuke to Donald Trump's foreign policy and his alliance with Riyadh, voting to end support for the bloody Saudi-led war effort in Yemen.

The US Senate on Wednesday dealt a stinging bipartisan rebuke to Donald Trump's foreign policy and his alliance with Riyadh, voting to end support for the bloody Saudi-led war effort in Yemen. Lawmakers in the Republican-controlled chamber approved a historic curtailment of presidential war powers that directs Trump "to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in or affecting the Republic of Yemen" within 30 days. The Senate vote was 54 to 46, with seven Republicans defying the president and aligning with Democrats. The text now heads to the Democrat-led House of Representatives, which approved a similar measure that stalled earlier this year, and which is likely to pass the latest effort. The White House has threatened a veto, calling the measure "flawed" and saying it would harm bilateral relationships in the region and hurt Washington's ability to fight extremism. But its full passage would set a historic marker. It would be the first measure passed by Congress to invoke the 1973 War Powers Resolution to directly curtail a president's use of military powers. "Today, we begin the process of reclaiming our constitutional power by ending US involvement in a war that has not been authorized by Congress and is clearly unconstitutional," Senator Bernie Sanders, who is running for president in 2020 and is a sponsor of the measure, said on the Senate floor. Republican Senator Mike Lee concurred, saying Saudi Arabia "is not an ally that deserves our support or our military intervention." The Saudis, he said, "are likely using our own weapons... to commit these atrocities of war. That's not OK." The war in Yemen is the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with an estimated 14 million people at risk of famine. The World Health Organization says about 10,000 people have been killed in the war between forces loyal to the Yemeni government, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, and the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels. Rights groups say the death toll is far higher. The United States provides weapons and refueling to the Saudi coalition. Two days, two rebukes? The resolution is a reminder that Congress has the legal ability to compel the removal of US military forces, absent a formal declaration of war. Should it pass Congress, it could force Trump to issue the first veto of his tenure. The vote may well be the first of two congressional rebukes of Trump in as many days. On Thursday, the Senate is expected to vote on a resolution -- already passed by the House -- to reverse Trump's emergency declaration on border security, after the president went around Congress in a bid to secure more funding for his wall between the United States and Mexico. In that case too, he has promised to use his veto. Wednesday's Yemen vote, and the rare bipartisanship at the heart of it, came as US lawmakers have escalated their opposition to Saudi Arabia after the October murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul. Republicans and Democrats alike have bristled over the White House's apparent embrace of the kingdom and its leadership. Some members of Congress have publicly stated that they suspect that powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was directly responsible for the killing, based on the CIA's conclusions. Sanders, using unusually blunt language about an American ally, said the United States should not "simply follow the despotic lead of a government in Saudi Arabia." "We will determine our military and foreign pol and not be led around by a murderous regime," he said.

Defying Trump, Senate votes to end US support for Yemen war

The US Senate will vote on Wednesday on a resolution to end Washington's support for the Saudi Arabia-led military campaign in Yemen, as lawmakers push President Donald Trump to toughen his policy toward the kingdom.

Announcing the vote on Tuesday, Senator Bernie Sanders called the war "a humanitarian and strategic disaster." Sanders, an independent who is running for president as a Democrat, is a lead co-sponsor of the resolution along with Republican Senator Mike Lee.&nbsp;

The vote on the war powers resolution will be the second within four months in the Senate. The chamber passed the measure by 56-41 in December, a rebuke of Trump amid anger at Saudi Arabia not just over civilian deaths in Yemen, but also the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey.

To become effective, however, the resolution must be passed by the new Senate, which was seated in January, as well as the House of Representatives. Then it must garner enough votes to override an expected veto by Trump, who has touted the importance of a strategic alliance with Riyadh.

The House passed its own version of the resolution in February, but a procedural issue kept it from a vote in the Senate.

The US Senate will vote on Wednesday on a resolution to end Washington's support for the Saudi Arabia-led military campaign in Yemen, as lawmakers push President Donald Trump to toughen his policy toward the kingdom.

The US Senate will vote on Wednesday on a resolution to end Washington's support for the Saudi Arabia-led military campaign in Yemen, as lawmakers push President Donald Trump to toughen his policy toward the kingdom. Announcing the vote on Tuesday, Senator Bernie Sanders called the war "a humanitarian and strategic disaster." Sanders, an independent who is running for president as a Democrat, is a lead co-sponsor of the resolution along with Republican Senator Mike Lee. The vote on the war powers resolution will be the second within four months in the Senate. The chamber passed the measure by 56-41 in December, a rebuke of Trump amid anger at Saudi Arabia not just over civilian deaths in Yemen, but also the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey. To become effective, however, the resolution must be passed by the new Senate, which was seated in January, as well as the House of Representatives. Then it must garner enough votes to override an expected veto by Trump, who has touted the importance of a strategic alliance with Riyadh. The House passed its own version of the resolution in February, but a procedural issue kept it from a vote in the Senate.

US Senate to vote Wednesday on Saudi Yemen war resolution

These are tough times for Saudi Arabia.

The drama enveloping the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the brutal way in which it was carried out has captured public attention. In reality, however, Saudi Arabia’s real problems began earlier as a result of its conduct of the Yemen War.

Saudi interference in Yemen that culminated in military intervention predates the four-year-old war. Yemen has long been perceived by Saudi Arabia as a threat. That threat went far beyond current Iranian support for the Houthis. In fact, it was Saudi divide-and-rule tactics in Yemen, changing Saudi attitudes towards the Houthis and Saudi Arabia’s global campaign to promote anti-Shiite, anti-Iranian strands of ultra-conservative Sunni Muslim Islam that helped pave the way for the current Yemen crisis.

It is only half a century ago that the Houthis were part of a Saudi effort to confront Arab nationalism. As an aside, Saudis and Israelis cooperated already then with Israeli military aircraft dropping weapons for the Saudi-backed rebels that included the Houthis. The deterioration in Saudi-Houthi relations accelerated just after the turn to this century when the Saudis funded the opening of a Salafi centre on the outskirts of the Houthi capital of Saada.

The centre constituted not only a challenge to the Houthis but also to the power of the Houthi leadership. It successfully appealed to the socially disadvantaged as well as youth who were attracted by Salafism’s egalitarianism, resented the power of the older generation and saw puritan Islam as a vehicle to challenge the traditional hierarchy. Fear of the Wahhabi/Salafi encroachment fuelled the Houthi’s armed fight against the government of the then President Ali Abdullah Saleh, his Saudi-backed successor Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, and ultimately the Saudis themselves, which led to the kingdom’s military intervention in Yemen in March 2015.

To initially counter the threat, the leadership of the Houthis, Zaidis who are Shiites with practices more akin to Sunni Muslim ritual, turned to Iran for support in religious education, a development that further angered the kingdom, and laid the groundwork for a war that has devastated a country that already ranked as one of the world’s poorest.

The Saudi intervention was, however, about more than just confronting an Iranian proxy on its doorstep. For one, if anything, it was the intervention that really drove the Houthis and Iranians closer to one another. Even so, the Houthis remain an opportunity in a far broader Saudi-Iranian rivalry rather than a strategic target for the Iranians.&nbsp;

The Salmans, the king and his son, have since coming to office and despite the emergence of Donald Trump, taken to new heights a far more assertive foreign and military policy that was initially crafted by their predecessors in response to the popular Arab revolts in 2011. Make however no mistake, Saudi Arabia’s new assertiveness is not a declaration of independence from the United States even if the kingdom is expanding its international relations as is evident in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s recent tour of Asia.

On the contrary, Prince Mohammed made that very clear in multiple interviews. His goal was to force the United States to reengage in the Middle East as the best guarantor for regional stability. The Saudis appear to be operating on the basis of Karl Marx’s Verelendungs theory: things have to get worse to get better. That is the part of the backdrop of the stalled military intervention in Yemen. Dangling Iran as the real threat emanating from Yemen serves the Saudis’ purpose.

In doing so Saudi Arabia has proven to be driven. It is a drive that is fuelled by a perception that Iran poses an existential threat to Saudi Arabia. In fact, that may not be incorrect, certainly from the perception of the monarchy and its ruling family.

Saudi Arabia dazzles with the billions of dollars gained from oil exports that it is able to invest overseas and the investment opportunities it creates in the kingdom itself. But the truth of the matter is that long-term Saudi Arabia’s future is not that of a regional hegemon.

Saudi regional leadership, even if it has been tarnished in Yemen in military and reputational terms, amounts to exploitation of a window of opportunity rather than reliance on the assets and power needed to sustain it. Saudi Arabia’s interest is to extend its window of opportunity for as long as possible. That window of opportunity exists as long as the obvious regional powers – Iran, Turkey and Egypt – are in various degrees of disrepair. For now, punitive economic sanctions and international isolation take care of Iran.

And that is what bites. Iran may not be Arab and maintains a sense of Persian superiority, but it has like Turkey and Egypt assets Saudi Arabia lacks: a large population base, an industrial base, a huge domestic market, a battle-hardened military, a deep-rooted culture, a history of empire and geography that makes it a crossroads. Mecca and money will not be able to compete.

Add to all of these two factors. The Islamic regime came to power in a revolution that preceded the 2011 Arab revolts by 32 years. Moreover, the Iranian revolution toppled a monarch, not a president and an icon of US power in the Middle East.

Perhaps, more importantly, if one disregards the sanctioning of Iran, it is Iran rather than Saudi Arabia that is likely to shape the future energy architecture of Eurasia. Oil, in terms of demand, is a diminishing commodity. If the long-term future is renewables, the medium term will be shaped by gas. Iran has gas, Saudi Arabia does not, at least not the kind of gas it can export. In fact, Iran has the world’s second largest gas reserves. Again, disregarding the sanctions, Iran would have in the next five years 24.6 billion cubic metres available for annual piped exports beyond its current supply commitments.

If, indeed, Iran poses an existential threat to the rule of the Al Saud family that it cannot eliminate and at best contain with the support of the United States, the question is what Saudi Arabia’s goal in Yemen is as well as in its broader rivalry with Iran. There are those who coherently argue that Saudi Arabia’s goal in Yemen may have initially been the roll-back of Houthi advances with their occupation of the Yemeni capital Sana’s and large parts of Yemen, destruction of Houthi power and forcing them into a situation in which they would have had to accept a Saudi-dictated end to the war.

Four years into the war, that is not a realistic goal. Short of that, the question is how sincere Saudi and for that matter, UAE interest is in finding a way out of the war. It is conceivable that short of outright victory, Saudi Arabia would want to keep Yemen weak and the Houthis militarily on the defensive. That is at best only sustainable in the short term. The fact of the matter is that the reputational damage Saudi Arabia has suffered is starting to hurt witness measures taken by the US Congress and Germany’s decision to halt arms sales to the kingdom. Conflicts are only ended, if not resolved if the pain of continuing the conflict is greater than the pain of ending it. In Yemen, Saudi Arabia could well be nearing the inflection point.

The problem is that even if the United Nations-mediated peace talks ultimately produce an end to the war, Yemen, if anything, will pose in the post-war era an even greater and more real threat. Yemen for much of post-World War two history has been an afterthought in the international community if it sparked a thought at all. Yet, what a post-war Yemen will represent is a devastated country that largely needs to be rebuilt from scratch, a country whose traumatised population has suffered one the world’s worst humanitarian disasters and will need all the after-care that goes with that.

Beyond the taking care of the most immediate humanitarian issues, there is little reason to believe that investors and governments with massive aid packages and offers of reconstruction will be knocking on Yemen’s doors. Like in Syria and Libya, the risk is of the emergence of a generation that has nothing to look forward to and nothing to lose. In Yemen, that generation is likely to deeply resent what it perceives Saudi Arabia has done to their country. If Saudi Arabia, long saw Yemen as the Gulf’s most populous nation with a battle-hardened military that needed to be managed, that new generation is likely to put flesh on the skeleton.

It's not a pretty picture to look forward to. And it is one in which the damage has already been done. Having said that, its never too late to try to limit the damage, if not reverse affairs. That, however, would take the kind of courage and vision that Prince Mohammed and others in power elsewhere in the Middle East have yet to demonstrate. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

These are tough times for Saudi Arabia. The drama enveloping the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the brutal way in which it was carried out has captured public attention.

These are tough times for Saudi Arabia. The drama enveloping the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the brutal way in which it was carried out has captured public attention. In reality, however, Saudi Arabia’s real problems began earlier as a result of its conduct of the Yemen War. Saudi interference in Yemen that culminated in military intervention predates the four-year-old war. Yemen has long been perceived by Saudi Arabia as a threat. That threat went far beyond current Iranian support for the Houthis. In fact, it was Saudi divide-and-rule tactics in Yemen, changing Saudi attitudes towards the Houthis and Saudi Arabia’s global campaign to promote anti-Shiite, anti-Iranian strands of ultra-conservative Sunni Muslim Islam that helped pave the way for the current Yemen crisis. It is only half a century ago that the Houthis were part of a Saudi effort to confront Arab nationalism. As an aside, Saudis and Israelis cooperated already then with Israeli military aircraft dropping weapons for the Saudi-backed rebels that included the Houthis. The deterioration in Saudi-Houthi relations accelerated just after the turn to this century when the Saudis funded the opening of a Salafi centre on the outskirts of the Houthi capital of Saada. The centre constituted not only a challenge to the Houthis but also to the power of the Houthi leadership. It successfully appealed to the socially disadvantaged as well as youth who were attracted by Salafism’s egalitarianism, resented the power of the older generation and saw puritan Islam as a vehicle to challenge the traditional hierarchy. Fear of the Wahhabi/Salafi encroachment fuelled the Houthi’s armed fight against the government of the then President Ali Abdullah Saleh, his Saudi-backed successor Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, and ultimately the Saudis themselves, which led to the kingdom’s military intervention in Yemen in March 2015. To initially counter the threat, the leadership of the Houthis, Zaidis who are Shiites with practices more akin to Sunni Muslim ritual, turned to Iran for support in religious education, a development that further angered the kingdom, and laid the groundwork for a war that has devastated a country that already ranked as one of the world’s poorest. The Saudi intervention was, however, about more than just confronting an Iranian proxy on its doorstep. For one, if anything, it was the intervention that really drove the Houthis and Iranians closer to one another. Even so, the Houthis remain an opportunity in a far broader Saudi-Iranian rivalry rather than a strategic target for the Iranians. The Salmans, the king and his son, have since coming to office and despite the emergence of Donald Trump, taken to new heights a far more assertive foreign and military policy that was initially crafted by their predecessors in response to the popular Arab revolts in 2011. Make however no mistake, Saudi Arabia’s new assertiveness is not a declaration of independence from the United States even if the kingdom is expanding its international relations as is evident in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s recent tour of Asia. On the contrary, Prince Mohammed made that very clear in multiple interviews. His goal was to force the United States to reengage in the Middle East as the best guarantor for regional stability. The Saudis appear to be operating on the basis of Karl Marx’s Verelendungs theory: things have to get worse to get better. That is the part of the backdrop of the stalled military intervention in Yemen. Dangling Iran as the real threat emanating from Yemen serves the Saudis’ purpose. In doing so Saudi Arabia has proven to be driven. It is a drive that is fuelled by a perception that Iran poses an existential threat to Saudi Arabia. In fact, that may not be incorrect, certainly from the perception of the monarchy and its ruling family. Saudi Arabia dazzles with the billions of dollars gained from oil exports that it is able to invest overseas and the investment opportunities it creates in the kingdom itself. But the truth of the matter is that long-term Saudi Arabia’s future is not that of a regional hegemon. Saudi regional leadership, even if it has been tarnished in Yemen in military and reputational terms, amounts to exploitation of a window of opportunity rather than reliance on the assets and power needed to sustain it. Saudi Arabia’s interest is to extend its window of opportunity for as long as possible. That window of opportunity exists as long as the obvious regional powers – Iran, Turkey and Egypt – are in various degrees of disrepair. For now, punitive economic sanctions and international isolation take care of Iran. And that is what bites. Iran may not be Arab and maintains a sense of Persian superiority, but it has like Turkey and Egypt assets Saudi Arabia lacks: a large population base, an industrial base, a huge domestic market, a battle-hardened military, a deep-rooted culture, a history of empire and geography that makes it a crossroads. Mecca and money will not be able to compete. Add to all of these two factors. The Islamic regime came to power in a revolution that preceded the 2011 Arab revolts by 32 years. Moreover, the Iranian revolution toppled a monarch, not a president and an icon of US power in the Middle East. Perhaps, more importantly, if one disregards the sanctioning of Iran, it is Iran rather than Saudi Arabia that is likely to shape the future energy architecture of Eurasia. Oil, in terms of demand, is a diminishing commodity. If the long-term future is renewables, the medium term will be shaped by gas. Iran has gas, Saudi Arabia does not, at least not the kind of gas it can export. In fact, Iran has the world’s second largest gas reserves. Again, disregarding the sanctions, Iran would have in the next five years 24.6 billion cubic metres available for annual piped exports beyond its current supply commitments. If, indeed, Iran poses an existential threat to the rule of the Al Saud family that it cannot eliminate and at best contain with the support of the United States, the question is what Saudi Arabia’s goal in Yemen is as well as in its broader rivalry with Iran. There are those who coherently argue that Saudi Arabia’s goal in Yemen may have initially been the roll-back of Houthi advances with their occupation of the Yemeni capital Sana’s and large parts of Yemen, destruction of Houthi power and forcing them into a situation in which they would have had to accept a Saudi-dictated end to the war. Four years into the war, that is not a realistic goal. Short of that, the question is how sincere Saudi and for that matter, UAE interest is in finding a way out of the war. It is conceivable that short of outright victory, Saudi Arabia would want to keep Yemen weak and the Houthis militarily on the defensive. That is at best only sustainable in the short term. The fact of the matter is that the reputational damage Saudi Arabia has suffered is starting to hurt witness measures taken by the US Congress and Germany’s decision to halt arms sales to the kingdom. Conflicts are only ended, if not resolved if the pain of continuing the conflict is greater than the pain of ending it. In Yemen, Saudi Arabia could well be nearing the inflection point. The problem is that even if the United Nations-mediated peace talks ultimately produce an end to the war, Yemen, if anything, will pose in the post-war era an even greater and more real threat. Yemen for much of post-World War two history has been an afterthought in the international community if it sparked a thought at all. Yet, what a post-war Yemen will represent is a devastated country that largely needs to be rebuilt from scratch, a country whose traumatised population has suffered one the world’s worst humanitarian disasters and will need all the after-care that goes with that. Beyond the taking care of the most immediate humanitarian issues, there is little reason to believe that investors and governments with massive aid packages and offers of reconstruction will be knocking on Yemen’s doors. Like in Syria and Libya, the risk is of the emergence of a generation that has nothing to look forward to and nothing to lose. In Yemen, that generation is likely to deeply resent what it perceives Saudi Arabia has done to their country. If Saudi Arabia, long saw Yemen as the Gulf’s most populous nation with a battle-hardened military that needed to be managed, that new generation is likely to put flesh on the skeleton. It's not a pretty picture to look forward to. And it is one in which the damage has already been done. Having said that, its never too late to try to limit the damage, if not reverse affairs. That, however, would take the kind of courage and vision that Prince Mohammed and others in power elsewhere in the Middle East have yet to demonstrate. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

In Yemen, Saudi Arabia could be nearing the inflection point

By Jeff Bachman

The US House of Representatives has voted overwhelmingly to pass legislation to deny further military assistance for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen.

The bipartisan vote for the bill was a repudiation of the Obama and Trump administrations’ support for the Saudis and a war that many charge includes violations of human rights. A Saudi-led coalition of states has been aggressively bombing Yemen and imposing an air and naval blockade of its ports for more than three years, leading UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to describe Yemen as “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.”

The legislation now goes to the Senate. President Trump has said that he would veto it if passed.

Guterres put the crisis in stark perspective, emphasising the near complete lack of security for the Yemeni people. More than 22 million people out of a total population of 28 million are in need of humanitarian aid and protection. Eighteen million people lack reliable access to food; 8.4 million people “do not know how they will obtain their next meal.”

As a scholar of genocide and human rights, I believe the destruction brought about by these attacks combined with the blockade amounts to genocide.

Based on my research, published online by Third World Quarterly, I believe the coalition would not be capable of committing this crime without the material and logistical support of both the Obama and Trump administrations.

A ‘storm’ recast as ‘hope’

Yemen has been gripped by a civil war since 2015, pitting the Shia Houthi movement – which has fought for centuries for control of parts of Yemen – against a government backed by Sunni Saudi Arabia. Because of these religious differences, it would be easy to recast what is largely a political conflict in Yemen as a sectarian one.

That characterisation fits Saudi and US assertions that the Houthis are controlled by Shiite Iran, a claim that has not gone uncontested. Both the Saudis and the US are hostile to Iran, so US support of Saudia Arabia in Yemen represents what US administrations have said are strategic interests in the region.

Besides Saudi Arabia, the coalition attacking Yemen includes the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan, Kuwait and Bahrain. Qatar was part of the coalition but is no longer.

During the first three years of “Operation Decisive Storm,” later renamed “Operation Renewal of Hope,” 16,749 coalition air attacks in Yemen were documented by the Yemen Data Project, which describes itself as an “independent data collection project aimed at collecting and disseminating data on the conduct of the war in Yemen.”

Based on the information available to it using open sources, the Yemen Data Project reports that two-thirds of the coalition’s bombing attacks have been against nonmilitary and unknown targets. The coalition isn’t accidentally attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure – it’s doing it deliberately.

That’s evident from the kind – and volume – of civilian targets documented. They include places that are generally protected against attack even under the lax rules of international humanitarian law: Residential areas, vehicles, marketplaces and mosques as well as boats, social gatherings and camps for internally displaced persons.

Because of the role it plays in movement of people, food and medicine, Yemen’s transportation infrastructure is especially important. Airports, ports, bridges and roads have all been repeatedly attacked.

Yemen’s economic infrastructure – farms, private businesses and factories, oil and gas facilities, water and electricity lines and food storage – have also been hit. And the coalition has targeted and destroyed schools and medical facilities, too.

Finally, Yemen’s cultural heritage has been attacked. In all, at least 78 cultural sites have been damaged or destroyed, including archaeological sites, museums, mosques, churches and tombs, as well as numerous other monuments and residences that have great historical and cultural significance.

How to make a crisis

The attacks aren’t the only way the coalition is creating a massive humanitarian crisis.

The air and naval blockade, in effect since March 2015, “is essentially using the threat of starvation as a bargaining tool and an instrument of war,” according to the UN panel of experts on Yemen.

The blockade stops and inspects vessels seeking entry to Yemen’s ports. That allows the coalition to regulate and restrict Yemenis’ access to food, fuel, medical supplies and humanitarian aid.

In his analysis of the blockade’s legality, Dutch military scholar Martin Fink writes that the blockade means “massive time delays and uncertainty on what products would be allowed to enter.”

Despite U.N. efforts to alleviate some of the worst delays, imports are often held up for a long time. In some cases, food that makes it through the blockade has already spoiled, if the entry is not denied altogether.

In some ways, the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is unprecedented and can be tied directly to the conflict. As the World Bank notes, “Yemen’s very difficult economic challenges before the current conflict cannot be compared to the intensely critical situation the country is facing today.”

Similarly, Tufts University scholar Alex de Waal describes Yemen as “the greatest famine atrocity of our lifetimes.” It was caused, writes de Waal, by the coalition “deliberately destroying the country’s food-producing infrastructure.”

The failing security for the people of Yemen has been compounded by a failing health system. The World Health Organisation reported in September 2017 that only 45 per cent of health facilities in Yemen were functional.

As Secretary-General Guterres put it, “Treatable illnesses become a death sentence when local health services are suspended and it is impossible to travel outside the country.”

As of February 2018, according to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the coalition had killed 6,000 people in airstrikes and wounded nearly 10,000 more.

Yet, according to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights report, these counts are conservative. Tens of thousands of Yemenis have also died from causes related to the war. According to Save the Children, an estimated 85,000 children under five may have died since 2015, with more than 50,000 child deaths in 2017 alone from hunger and related causes.

Coalition actions in Yemen amount to nothing short of what Raphael Lemkin, the individual who coined the term “genocide,” referred to as a “synchronized attack on different aspects of life.”

The US contribution

The coalition’s genocide in Yemen would not be possible without the complicity of the US. This has been a bipartisan presidential effort, covering both the Obama and Trump administrations.

US arms are being used to kill Yemenis and destroy their country. In 2016, well after the coalition began its genocidal assault on Yemen, four of the top five recipients of US arms sales were members of the coalition.

The U.S. has also provided the coalition with logistical support, including mid-air refuelling, targeting advice and support, intelligence, expedited munitions resupply and maintenance.

Other than the sale of arms, perhaps the most significant contribution to the coalition’s ability to commit genocide in Yemen has been the provision of fuel and midair refuelling of coalition warplanes, which was halted in early November 2018. By the middle of 2017, the US had delivered over 67 million pounds of fuel to the coalition and refuelled coalition aircraft more than 9,000 times.

Shared responsibility for genocide

As a genocide scholar, I believe that under international law, the US shares responsibility with the coalition for genocide in Yemen.

What does this mean? It means that the US must cease and desist all activities that facilitate genocide in Yemen. This would include stopping all sales of weapons and ending logistical support for coalition action. The legislation passed by the House would largely accomplish this, though the House bill would allow intelligence sharing with Saudi Arabia to continue when “appropriate in the national security interest of the United States.”

However, even if the Senate passes it, the president’s likely veto of the bill will mean no change in the deadly status quo unless the legislation garners enough support to override a presidential veto.

In an ideal world, one in which all states are equally subjects before international law, the U.S. would also seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice regarding what restitution it owes the people of Yemen for its role in the coalition’s genocide.

Similarly, the US would request an International Criminal Court investigation into individual culpability of US officials in both the Obama and Trump administrations for their role in facilitating the crimes committed in Yemen.

Of course, this is not an ideal world.

The US recognises neither the International Court of Justice’s authority to judge the legality of its actions, nor the International Criminal Court’s authority to investigate the suspected criminal acts of individual US officials. Such an investigation could be triggered by a UN Security Council referral, but the US would simply veto any such effort.

All that is left, then, is for the people of the US to hold their own to account for the crimes committed in their names. 
 
(Jeff Bachman is Professorial Lecturer in Human Rights, American University School of International Service)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/senate-vote-could-end-us-complicity-in-the-saudi-led-genocide-in-yemen-111952">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

By Jeff Bachman The US House of Representatives has voted overwhelmingly to pass legislation to deny further military assistance for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen.

By Jeff Bachman The US House of Representatives has voted overwhelmingly to pass legislation to deny further military assistance for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen. The bipartisan vote for the bill was a repudiation of the Obama and Trump administrations’ support for the Saudis and a war that many charge includes violations of human rights. A Saudi-led coalition of states has been aggressively bombing Yemen and imposing an air and naval blockade of its ports for more than three years, leading UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to describe Yemen as “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.” The legislation now goes to the Senate. President Trump has said that he would veto it if passed. Guterres put the crisis in stark perspective, emphasising the near complete lack of security for the Yemeni people. More than 22 million people out of a total population of 28 million are in need of humanitarian aid and protection. Eighteen million people lack reliable access to food; 8.4 million people “do not know how they will obtain their next meal.” As a scholar of genocide and human rights, I believe the destruction brought about by these attacks combined with the blockade amounts to genocide. Based on my research, published online by Third World Quarterly, I believe the coalition would not be capable of committing this crime without the material and logistical support of both the Obama and Trump administrations. A ‘storm’ recast as ‘hope’ Yemen has been gripped by a civil war since 2015, pitting the Shia Houthi movement – which has fought for centuries for control of parts of Yemen – against a government backed by Sunni Saudi Arabia. Because of these religious differences, it would be easy to recast what is largely a political conflict in Yemen as a sectarian one. That characterisation fits Saudi and US assertions that the Houthis are controlled by Shiite Iran, a claim that has not gone uncontested. Both the Saudis and the US are hostile to Iran, so US support of Saudia Arabia in Yemen represents what US administrations have said are strategic interests in the region. Besides Saudi Arabia, the coalition attacking Yemen includes the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan, Kuwait and Bahrain. Qatar was part of the coalition but is no longer. During the first three years of “Operation Decisive Storm,” later renamed “Operation Renewal of Hope,” 16,749 coalition air attacks in Yemen were documented by the Yemen Data Project, which describes itself as an “independent data collection project aimed at collecting and disseminating data on the conduct of the war in Yemen.” Based on the information available to it using open sources, the Yemen Data Project reports that two-thirds of the coalition’s bombing attacks have been against nonmilitary and unknown targets. The coalition isn’t accidentally attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure – it’s doing it deliberately. That’s evident from the kind – and volume – of civilian targets documented. They include places that are generally protected against attack even under the lax rules of international humanitarian law: Residential areas, vehicles, marketplaces and mosques as well as boats, social gatherings and camps for internally displaced persons. Because of the role it plays in movement of people, food and medicine, Yemen’s transportation infrastructure is especially important. Airports, ports, bridges and roads have all been repeatedly attacked. Yemen’s economic infrastructure – farms, private businesses and factories, oil and gas facilities, water and electricity lines and food storage – have also been hit. And the coalition has targeted and destroyed schools and medical facilities, too. Finally, Yemen’s cultural heritage has been attacked. In all, at least 78 cultural sites have been damaged or destroyed, including archaeological sites, museums, mosques, churches and tombs, as well as numerous other monuments and residences that have great historical and cultural significance. How to make a crisis The attacks aren’t the only way the coalition is creating a massive humanitarian crisis. The air and naval blockade, in effect since March 2015, “is essentially using the threat of starvation as a bargaining tool and an instrument of war,” according to the UN panel of experts on Yemen. The blockade stops and inspects vessels seeking entry to Yemen’s ports. That allows the coalition to regulate and restrict Yemenis’ access to food, fuel, medical supplies and humanitarian aid. In his analysis of the blockade’s legality, Dutch military scholar Martin Fink writes that the blockade means “massive time delays and uncertainty on what products would be allowed to enter.” Despite U.N. efforts to alleviate some of the worst delays, imports are often held up for a long time. In some cases, food that makes it through the blockade has already spoiled, if the entry is not denied altogether. In some ways, the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is unprecedented and can be tied directly to the conflict. As the World Bank notes, “Yemen’s very difficult economic challenges before the current conflict cannot be compared to the intensely critical situation the country is facing today.” Similarly, Tufts University scholar Alex de Waal describes Yemen as “the greatest famine atrocity of our lifetimes.” It was caused, writes de Waal, by the coalition “deliberately destroying the country’s food-producing infrastructure.” The failing security for the people of Yemen has been compounded by a failing health system. The World Health Organisation reported in September 2017 that only 45 per cent of health facilities in Yemen were functional. As Secretary-General Guterres put it, “Treatable illnesses become a death sentence when local health services are suspended and it is impossible to travel outside the country.” As of February 2018, according to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the coalition had killed 6,000 people in airstrikes and wounded nearly 10,000 more. Yet, according to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights report, these counts are conservative. Tens of thousands of Yemenis have also died from causes related to the war. According to Save the Children, an estimated 85,000 children under five may have died since 2015, with more than 50,000 child deaths in 2017 alone from hunger and related causes. Coalition actions in Yemen amount to nothing short of what Raphael Lemkin, the individual who coined the term “genocide,” referred to as a “synchronized attack on different aspects of life.” The US contribution The coalition’s genocide in Yemen would not be possible without the complicity of the US. This has been a bipartisan presidential effort, covering both the Obama and Trump administrations. US arms are being used to kill Yemenis and destroy their country. In 2016, well after the coalition began its genocidal assault on Yemen, four of the top five recipients of US arms sales were members of the coalition. The U.S. has also provided the coalition with logistical support, including mid-air refuelling, targeting advice and support, intelligence, expedited munitions resupply and maintenance. Other than the sale of arms, perhaps the most significant contribution to the coalition’s ability to commit genocide in Yemen has been the provision of fuel and midair refuelling of coalition warplanes, which was halted in early November 2018. By the middle of 2017, the US had delivered over 67 million pounds of fuel to the coalition and refuelled coalition aircraft more than 9,000 times. Shared responsibility for genocide As a genocide scholar, I believe that under international law, the US shares responsibility with the coalition for genocide in Yemen. What does this mean? It means that the US must cease and desist all activities that facilitate genocide in Yemen. This would include stopping all sales of weapons and ending logistical support for coalition action. The legislation passed by the House would largely accomplish this, though the House bill would allow intelligence sharing with Saudi Arabia to continue when “appropriate in the national security interest of the United States.” However, even if the Senate passes it, the president’s likely veto of the bill will mean no change in the deadly status quo unless the legislation garners enough support to override a presidential veto. In an ideal world, one in which all states are equally subjects before international law, the U.S. would also seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice regarding what restitution it owes the people of Yemen for its role in the coalition’s genocide. Similarly, the US would request an International Criminal Court investigation into individual culpability of US officials in both the Obama and Trump administrations for their role in facilitating the crimes committed in Yemen. Of course, this is not an ideal world. The US recognises neither the International Court of Justice’s authority to judge the legality of its actions, nor the International Criminal Court’s authority to investigate the suspected criminal acts of individual US officials. Such an investigation could be triggered by a UN Security Council referral, but the US would simply veto any such effort. All that is left, then, is for the people of the US to hold their own to account for the crimes committed in their names. (Jeff Bachman is Professorial Lecturer in Human Rights, American University School of International Service) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Senate vote could end US complicity in the Saudi-led genocide in Yemen

Starving girl shows impact of Yemen war, economic collapse

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-defends-executive-time-after-schedule-leak-196484">Trump administration</a> threatened on Monday to veto an effort in the US Congress to end US military support for the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in the war in Yemen, continuing a stand-off with lawmakers over policy toward the kingdom.

Democrats and Republicans re-introduced the war powers resolution two weeks ago as a way to send a strong message to Riyadh both about the humanitarian disaster in Yemen and condemn the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The administration said the resolution was inappropriate because US forces had provided aircraft refuelling and other support in the Yemen conflict, not combat troops. It also said the measure would harm relationships in the region and hurt the US ability to prevent the spread of violent extremism.

The White House has angered many members of Congress, including some of President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans, by failing to provide a report by a Friday deadline on the murder of Khashoggi last year at a Saudi consulate in Turkey. Khashoggi was a US resident and columnist for the Washington Post.

"It's hard to feel any affection or some obligation to a regime that does that kind of stuff," Democratic Representative Ed Perlmutter said at a House of Representatives hearing on the resolution on Monday.

The Saudis, who Trump considers an important regional partner, are leading a coalition battling Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The war has killed tens of thousands and left millions on the brink of starvation.

The United States has supported the Saudi-led air campaign with mid-air refuelling support, intelligence and targeting assistance.

Democrats view the war powers resolution as a way to assert Congress' constitutional right to authorize the use of military force in foreign conflicts. Republican opponents of the measure, echoing Trump, argue that support for the Saudis constitutes a security agreement, not the use of force.

The Republican-controlled US Senate passed the war powers resolution in December, the first time such a resolution had passed even one house of Congress. But Republicans, who then controlled the House, did not allow a vote in the lower chamber.

After sweeping election victories, Democrats now have a House majority. They intend to take up the resolution this week.

However, the resolution would struggle to garner the two-thirds majorities needed in both the House and Senate to overcome a Trump veto. Republicans still hold a slim majority in the Senate.

The Trump administration threatened on Monday to veto an effort in the US Congress to end US military support for the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in the war in Yemen, continuing a stand-off with lawmakers over policy toward the kingdom.

The Trump administration threatened on Monday to veto an effort in the US Congress to end US military support for the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in the war in Yemen, continuing a stand-off with lawmakers over policy toward the kingdom. Democrats and Republicans re-introduced the war powers resolution two weeks ago as a way to send a strong message to Riyadh both about the humanitarian disaster in Yemen and condemn the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The administration said the resolution was inappropriate because US forces had provided aircraft refuelling and other support in the Yemen conflict, not combat troops. It also said the measure would harm relationships in the region and hurt the US ability to prevent the spread of violent extremism. The White House has angered many members of Congress, including some of President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans, by failing to provide a report by a Friday deadline on the murder of Khashoggi last year at a Saudi consulate in Turkey. Khashoggi was a US resident and columnist for the Washington Post. "It's hard to feel any affection or some obligation to a regime that does that kind of stuff," Democratic Representative Ed Perlmutter said at a House of Representatives hearing on the resolution on Monday. The Saudis, who Trump considers an important regional partner, are leading a coalition battling Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The war has killed tens of thousands and left millions on the brink of starvation. The United States has supported the Saudi-led air campaign with mid-air refuelling support, intelligence and targeting assistance. Democrats view the war powers resolution as a way to assert Congress' constitutional right to authorize the use of military force in foreign conflicts. Republican opponents of the measure, echoing Trump, argue that support for the Saudis constitutes a security agreement, not the use of force. The Republican-controlled US Senate passed the war powers resolution in December, the first time such a resolution had passed even one house of Congress. But Republicans, who then controlled the House, did not allow a vote in the lower chamber. After sweeping election victories, Democrats now have a House majority. They intend to take up the resolution this week. However, the resolution would struggle to garner the two-thirds majorities needed in both the House and Senate to overcome a Trump veto. Republicans still hold a slim majority in the Senate.

Trump objects to measure ending US support for Saudis in Yemen war

Pope Francis on Sunday became the first pontiff to set foot on the Arabian Peninsula, just hours after<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-urges-respect-for-yemen-truce-accord-194830"> issuing his strongest condemnation</a> yet of the war in Yemen, where his host the United Arab Emirates has a leading military role.

Shortly before departing for Abu Dhabi, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-criticizes-those-who-build-walls-sow-fear-about-strangers-192644">Pope Francis </a>said he was following the humanitarian crisis in Yemen with great concern, using his regular Sunday address in Vatican City to urge all sides to implement a fragile peace deal and help deliver aid to millions of hungry people.

"The cry of these children and their parents rises up to God," he told tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square.

"Let us pray strongly because they are children who are hungry, who are thirsty, they don't have medicine and they are in danger of death," he said before boarding his flight.

The UAE welcomed the Pope's message on Yemen and believes the peace deal he referred to was a historic breakthrough, Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash wrote on Twitter.

"Let us assure its implementation and make 2019 the year of peace in Yemen," he said after the pope landed in Abu Dhabi.

Yemen's warring parties agreed to a ceasefire in December at the first major peace talks of the nearly four-year-old war, which pits Arab states backing an exiled president against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement that controls the capital.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict, and the United Nations says millions are on the verge of starvation. Their survival depends on the truce preventing aid from being cut off by all-out fighting for the country's main port.

Francis was greeted by Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who escorted him to meet Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Egypt's Al-Azhar mosque and university, one of the main seats of learning of Sunni Islam. The pontiff embraced him.

Both men will hold meetings with Pope Francis on Monday.

The UAE plays a leading role in the Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthis in Yemen. The United Nations is trying to implement a truce and troop withdrawal deal in the main Yemeni port of Hodeidah agreed at the December talks as a step that could pave the way for negotiations to end the conflict.

Vatican officials have said it is not clear whether Pope Francis will address the sensitive subject in public or private during his visit to Abu Dhabi, which is aimed at promoting interfaith dialogue.

"New page"

The pope will meet Muslim leaders and celebrate an outdoor mass for some 135,000 Catholics, an event with no precedent on the Arabian peninsula. He has said the trip, which ends on Tuesday, is an opportunity to write "a new page in the history of relations between religions".

The UAE, which named 2019 its Year of Tolerance, says the visit reflects its history as a "cradle of diversity".

But it faces criticism from human rights groups for jailing activists, including Ahmed Mansoor, an Emirati who is serving a 10-year sentence for criticising the government on social media.

"We are calling on Pope Francis to raise the issue of their incarceration with his hosts, and urge their immediate and unconditional release," Amnesty International said in a statement on Saturday. UAE authorities did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The UAE is home to around 1 million expatriate Catholics, many from the Philippines. Another 1 million Catholics are believed to live in other countries in the Arabian Peninsula.

Priests and diplomats describe the UAE as one of the least restrictive environments in the Gulf for Christian worship. But like its neighbours, the UAE does not allow dissent or criticism of its leadership.

All Gulf states except Saudi Arabia allow Christian worship in churches or church compounds and other premises with special licences. In Saudi Arabia, non-Muslims pray in secret gatherings in private homes and embassies.

Abu Dhabi's crown prince is an ally of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has reached out to Christian representatives abroad as part of attempts to open up the conservative kingdom. Mohammed bin Salman's international reputation has eroded since the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October.

The pope has already visited half a dozen predominantly Muslim nations during his reign, using the trips to call for inter-religious dialogue and to condemn the use of violence in the name of God.

The UAE ambassador to Washington, Yousef Al Otaiba, wrote in an op-ed in Politico magazine on Sunday that the pontiff's visit sent a signal of co-existence and respect in the face of the "menace of extremism" across the Middle East.

Pope Francis on Sunday became the first pontiff to set foot on the Arabian Peninsula, just hours after issuing his strongest condemnation yet of the war in Yemen, where his host the United Arab Emirates has a leading military role.

Pope Francis on Sunday became the first pontiff to set foot on the Arabian Peninsula, just hours after issuing his strongest condemnation yet of the war in Yemen, where his host the United Arab Emirates has a leading military role. Shortly before departing for Abu Dhabi, Pope Francis said he was following the humanitarian crisis in Yemen with great concern, using his regular Sunday address in Vatican City to urge all sides to implement a fragile peace deal and help deliver aid to millions of hungry people. "The cry of these children and their parents rises up to God," he told tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square. "Let us pray strongly because they are children who are hungry, who are thirsty, they don't have medicine and they are in danger of death," he said before boarding his flight. The UAE welcomed the Pope's message on Yemen and believes the peace deal he referred to was a historic breakthrough, Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash wrote on Twitter. "Let us assure its implementation and make 2019 the year of peace in Yemen," he said after the pope landed in Abu Dhabi. Yemen's warring parties agreed to a ceasefire in December at the first major peace talks of the nearly four-year-old war, which pits Arab states backing an exiled president against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement that controls the capital. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict, and the United Nations says millions are on the verge of starvation. Their survival depends on the truce preventing aid from being cut off by all-out fighting for the country's main port. Francis was greeted by Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who escorted him to meet Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Egypt's Al-Azhar mosque and university, one of the main seats of learning of Sunni Islam. The pontiff embraced him. Both men will hold meetings with Pope Francis on Monday. The UAE plays a leading role in the Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthis in Yemen. The United Nations is trying to implement a truce and troop withdrawal deal in the main Yemeni port of Hodeidah agreed at the December talks as a step that could pave the way for negotiations to end the conflict. Vatican officials have said it is not clear whether Pope Francis will address the sensitive subject in public or private during his visit to Abu Dhabi, which is aimed at promoting interfaith dialogue. "New page" The pope will meet Muslim leaders and celebrate an outdoor mass for some 135,000 Catholics, an event with no precedent on the Arabian peninsula. He has said the trip, which ends on Tuesday, is an opportunity to write "a new page in the history of relations between religions". The UAE, which named 2019 its Year of Tolerance, says the visit reflects its history as a "cradle of diversity". But it faces criticism from human rights groups for jailing activists, including Ahmed Mansoor, an Emirati who is serving a 10-year sentence for criticising the government on social media. "We are calling on Pope Francis to raise the issue of their incarceration with his hosts, and urge their immediate and unconditional release," Amnesty International said in a statement on Saturday. UAE authorities did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The UAE is home to around 1 million expatriate Catholics, many from the Philippines. Another 1 million Catholics are believed to live in other countries in the Arabian Peninsula. Priests and diplomats describe the UAE as one of the least restrictive environments in the Gulf for Christian worship. But like its neighbours, the UAE does not allow dissent or criticism of its leadership. All Gulf states except Saudi Arabia allow Christian worship in churches or church compounds and other premises with special licences. In Saudi Arabia, non-Muslims pray in secret gatherings in private homes and embassies. Abu Dhabi's crown prince is an ally of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has reached out to Christian representatives abroad as part of attempts to open up the conservative kingdom. Mohammed bin Salman's international reputation has eroded since the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October. The pope has already visited half a dozen predominantly Muslim nations during his reign, using the trips to call for inter-religious dialogue and to condemn the use of violence in the name of God. The UAE ambassador to Washington, Yousef Al Otaiba, wrote in an op-ed in Politico magazine on Sunday that the pontiff's visit sent a signal of co-existence and respect in the face of the "menace of extremism" across the Middle East.

Pope arrives in UAE for historic gulf visit, condemns Yemen war

Pope Francis, the first leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-urges-respect-for-yemen-truce-accord-194830"> to visit the Arabian Peninsula</a>, will attend an interfaith meeting in the UAE on Monday as part of his outreach to Muslims.

The pope's highly publicised 48-hour visit to the United Arab Emirates will also include an open-air mass on Tuesday for 135,000 of the Muslim country's million Catholic residents.

The pontiff, who made history when he touched down in Abu Dhabi on Sunday night, said he came "as a brother, in order to write a page of dialogue together and to travel paths of peace together".

The pope is expected to raise the issue of Yemen, devastated by a war in which the UAE is a key player, with Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.

Yemen is home to what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, triggered by the intervention of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their allies in a war between the government and Huthi rebels.&nbsp;

More than 10 million Yemenis now risk imminent starvation.&nbsp;

Open-air altar 
&nbsp; 
Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb — imam of Cairo's Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's prestigious seat of learning — greeted the pope with an embrace on Sunday night as the pontiff arrived in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi.&nbsp;

The emirate's crown prince was also at the airport to greet the pontiff, who has made strengthening ties between Christianity and Islam a cornerstone of his papacy.

Hours before he flies back to Rome on Tuesday, the pope will lead a mass in a stadium in the capital, which local media say will be the largest public gathering ever in the UAE.

The UAE has dubbed 2019 it's "year of tolerance", but rights groups have criticised the country for its role in Yemen, where an estimated 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led alliance including the UAE joined the government's fight against the Huthis in 2015.

Rights groups, which have slammed the UAE over its intolerance of dissent, have also urged the pope to raise the issue of Ahmed Mansoor, an Emirati activist serving a 10-year prison term.&nbsp;

Pope addresses Yemen war

Before heading to the Gulf on Sunday, Pope Francis urged warring parties in Yemen to respect a truce agreement and allow deliveries of food aid.

"The population is exhausted by the lengthy conflict and a great many children are suffering from hunger, but cannot access food depots," he said.

"The cry of these children and their parents rises up to God."

The pope and his host Sheikh Mohammed are also expected to discuss "terrorism" and violence.&nbsp;

The UAE, which prides itself on its religious tolerance and cultural diversity, is a member of the US-led coalition battling the Islamic State group in both Syria and Iraq.

The UAE has eight Catholic churches. Oman, Kuwait and Yemen each have four.

Qatar and Bahrain have one each, while ultra-conservative Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia bans all non-Muslim places of worship.

Muslims make up nearly four-fifths of the UAE's population, but the country is also home to nearly a million Catholics, according to the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia.

Migrants from Asian countries make up about 65 per cent of the population.

Pope Francis, the first leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics to visit the Arabian Peninsula, will attend an interfaith meeting in the UAE on Monday as part of his outreach to Muslims.

Pope Francis, the first leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics to visit the Arabian Peninsula, will attend an interfaith meeting in the UAE on Monday as part of his outreach to Muslims. The pope's highly publicised 48-hour visit to the United Arab Emirates will also include an open-air mass on Tuesday for 135,000 of the Muslim country's million Catholic residents. The pontiff, who made history when he touched down in Abu Dhabi on Sunday night, said he came "as a brother, in order to write a page of dialogue together and to travel paths of peace together". The pope is expected to raise the issue of Yemen, devastated by a war in which the UAE is a key player, with Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed. Yemen is home to what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, triggered by the intervention of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their allies in a war between the government and Huthi rebels. More than 10 million Yemenis now risk imminent starvation. Open-air altar Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb — imam of Cairo's Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's prestigious seat of learning — greeted the pope with an embrace on Sunday night as the pontiff arrived in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi. The emirate's crown prince was also at the airport to greet the pontiff, who has made strengthening ties between Christianity and Islam a cornerstone of his papacy. Hours before he flies back to Rome on Tuesday, the pope will lead a mass in a stadium in the capital, which local media say will be the largest public gathering ever in the UAE. The UAE has dubbed 2019 it's "year of tolerance", but rights groups have criticised the country for its role in Yemen, where an estimated 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led alliance including the UAE joined the government's fight against the Huthis in 2015. Rights groups, which have slammed the UAE over its intolerance of dissent, have also urged the pope to raise the issue of Ahmed Mansoor, an Emirati activist serving a 10-year prison term. Pope addresses Yemen war Before heading to the Gulf on Sunday, Pope Francis urged warring parties in Yemen to respect a truce agreement and allow deliveries of food aid. "The population is exhausted by the lengthy conflict and a great many children are suffering from hunger, but cannot access food depots," he said. "The cry of these children and their parents rises up to God." The pope and his host Sheikh Mohammed are also expected to discuss "terrorism" and violence. The UAE, which prides itself on its religious tolerance and cultural diversity, is a member of the US-led coalition battling the Islamic State group in both Syria and Iraq. The UAE has eight Catholic churches. Oman, Kuwait and Yemen each have four. Qatar and Bahrain have one each, while ultra-conservative Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia bans all non-Muslim places of worship. Muslims make up nearly four-fifths of the UAE's population, but the country is also home to nearly a million Catholics, according to the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia. Migrants from Asian countries make up about 65 per cent of the population.

Pope Francis makes history with Muslim dialogue in UAE

An <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/yemens-warring-sides-trade-blame-for-truce-breach-swap-prisoner-lists-185321">uneasy calm returned to the battleground Yemeni city of Hodeida</a> on Thursday after further overnight skirmishes, as the warring parties await the promised deployment of UN staff to oversee a hard-won but fragile truce.

The ceasefire in the Red Sea port city, which is a vital aid lifeline for millions at risk of starvation, is the centrepiece of a peace push that is seen as the best chance yet of ending four years of devastating conflict.

Military officials and residents have reported intermittent fighting between Saudi-backed government forces and Huthi Shiite rebels since the UN-brokered ceasefire came into effect in the city and its surroundings on Tuesday.&nbsp;

A pro-government official told AFP that four loyalists were wounded in a firefight on Wednesday night.&nbsp;

"The exchange of fire lasted for about half an hour, and there is an uneasy calm this morning," he said.

Residents reached by telephone confirmed to AFP that there was no fighting on Thursday morning. &nbsp;

The official added there has been intermittent fighting on a number of battlefronts in Hodeida province, including the districts of Hays and Al-Tuhayta.

A coalition official told AFP the "level of intensity" of Huthi attacks had decreased, which was "a positive sign but too early to draw concrete conclusions".

Pro-government forces and Huthi rebels accused each other of breaching the ceasefire agreed at talks in Sweden earlier this month.

The rebel-run Saba news agency said loyalists targeted a "number of neighbourhoods in the city" overnight.&nbsp;

'Breathing down the neck' 
UN observers are due in Yemen to head up monitoring teams made up of government and rebel representatives tasked with overseeing the implementation of the UN-brokered ceasefire, under the auspices of a Redeployment Coordination Committee.

The committee's UN chair, Patrick Cammaert, convened its first meeting by videoconference from New York on Wednesday "to discuss the general outlines of its work, including agreement of a code of conduct", UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.&nbsp;

UN chief Antonio Guterres was "breathing down the neck" of officials to make sure the UN observers are deployed as soon as possible, Dujarric said.

He added that Cammaert will head on Thursday to Jordan from where he will travel on to the rebel-held capital Sanaa and Hodeida.&nbsp;

A UN official told AFP that he was expected in Amman on Friday.&nbsp;

"His departure to Yemen depends on logistics arrangements and flight availability," the official, who requested anonymity, said.

Brigadier General Ahmed al-Kokbani, a Yemeni government representative on the committee, told AFP that the videoconference with Cammaert covered the bases of the committee's mission.&nbsp;

"Cammaert asked members of the team to work diligently in calming the situation and to reject any violations," he said.

The coalition source reiterated Thursday the Saudi-alliance's commitment to UN peace efforts, saying: "We will extend our full support to Cammaert... and we hope to see positive progress".

The coalition said Wednesday that the hard-won ceasefire agreement will collapse if rebel violations persist and the United Nations does not intervene.

The committee's observers are due to oversee the withdrawal of the warring parties from Hodeida, including a rebel pullout from the city's docks that are the entry point for 80 percent of Yemeni imports and nearly all UN-supervised humanitarian aid.

Cammaert is due to report back to the Security Council about the situation on the ground on a weekly basis.

According to the International Crisis Group, the "odds are stacked against" UN envoy Martin Griffiths and his team.&nbsp;

"The Hodeida agreement came about in a rush, and critics have assailed it as too vague and open to interpretation," it said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Griffiths will now have to build on this imperfect but highly welcome and overdue agreement, which, as Crisis Group has argued, the UN Security Council should endorse via a new resolution," it added.&nbsp;

"Without strong international support, the Hodeida ceasefire will falter."

The war between the Shiite Huthi rebels and troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi escalated in 2015, when he fled into Saudi exile and the Saudi-led military coalition intervened.

Since then, the war has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high.

The conflict has pushed 14 million people to the brink of famine in what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.&nbsp;

An uneasy calm returned to the battleground Yemeni city of Hodeida on Thursday after further overnight skirmishes, as the warring parties await the promised deployment of UN staff to oversee a hard-won but fragile truce.

An uneasy calm returned to the battleground Yemeni city of Hodeida on Thursday after further overnight skirmishes, as the warring parties await the promised deployment of UN staff to oversee a hard-won but fragile truce. The ceasefire in the Red Sea port city, which is a vital aid lifeline for millions at risk of starvation, is the centrepiece of a peace push that is seen as the best chance yet of ending four years of devastating conflict. Military officials and residents have reported intermittent fighting between Saudi-backed government forces and Huthi Shiite rebels since the UN-brokered ceasefire came into effect in the city and its surroundings on Tuesday. A pro-government official told AFP that four loyalists were wounded in a firefight on Wednesday night. "The exchange of fire lasted for about half an hour, and there is an uneasy calm this morning," he said. Residents reached by telephone confirmed to AFP that there was no fighting on Thursday morning. The official added there has been intermittent fighting on a number of battlefronts in Hodeida province, including the districts of Hays and Al-Tuhayta. A coalition official told AFP the "level of intensity" of Huthi attacks had decreased, which was "a positive sign but too early to draw concrete conclusions". Pro-government forces and Huthi rebels accused each other of breaching the ceasefire agreed at talks in Sweden earlier this month. The rebel-run Saba news agency said loyalists targeted a "number of neighbourhoods in the city" overnight. 'Breathing down the neck' UN observers are due in Yemen to head up monitoring teams made up of government and rebel representatives tasked with overseeing the implementation of the UN-brokered ceasefire, under the auspices of a Redeployment Coordination Committee. The committee's UN chair, Patrick Cammaert, convened its first meeting by videoconference from New York on Wednesday "to discuss the general outlines of its work, including agreement of a code of conduct", UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. UN chief Antonio Guterres was "breathing down the neck" of officials to make sure the UN observers are deployed as soon as possible, Dujarric said. He added that Cammaert will head on Thursday to Jordan from where he will travel on to the rebel-held capital Sanaa and Hodeida. A UN official told AFP that he was expected in Amman on Friday. "His departure to Yemen depends on logistics arrangements and flight availability," the official, who requested anonymity, said. Brigadier General Ahmed al-Kokbani, a Yemeni government representative on the committee, told AFP that the videoconference with Cammaert covered the bases of the committee's mission. "Cammaert asked members of the team to work diligently in calming the situation and to reject any violations," he said. The coalition source reiterated Thursday the Saudi-alliance's commitment to UN peace efforts, saying: "We will extend our full support to Cammaert... and we hope to see positive progress". The coalition said Wednesday that the hard-won ceasefire agreement will collapse if rebel violations persist and the United Nations does not intervene. The committee's observers are due to oversee the withdrawal of the warring parties from Hodeida, including a rebel pullout from the city's docks that are the entry point for 80 percent of Yemeni imports and nearly all UN-supervised humanitarian aid. Cammaert is due to report back to the Security Council about the situation on the ground on a weekly basis. According to the International Crisis Group, the "odds are stacked against" UN envoy Martin Griffiths and his team. "The Hodeida agreement came about in a rush, and critics have assailed it as too vague and open to interpretation," it said in a statement on Wednesday. "Griffiths will now have to build on this imperfect but highly welcome and overdue agreement, which, as Crisis Group has argued, the UN Security Council should endorse via a new resolution," it added. "Without strong international support, the Hodeida ceasefire will falter." The war between the Shiite Huthi rebels and troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi escalated in 2015, when he fled into Saudi exile and the Saudi-led military coalition intervened. Since then, the war has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high. The conflict has pushed 14 million people to the brink of famine in what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

'Uneasy calm' in Yemen's Hodeida as combatants await UN truce team

Around 20 million Yemenis are food insecure, UN agencies said on Saturday, adding the conflict ravaging the impoverished country was the key driver behind rising hunger levels.

"As many as 20 million Yemenis are food insecure in the world's worst humanitarian crisis," a joint statement by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the children's fund UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) said.

"Already 15.9 million people wake up hungry" in Yemen, it said, citing an analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a food security survey.

According to the IPC -- whose analysis is necessary to decide whether to declare famine in countries -- the 20 million people facing "severe acute food insecurity" represent 67 percent of Yemen's population.

"What the IPC tells us is alarming," said Lise Grande, UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen.

WFP head David Beasley said the analysis "is an alarm bell that shows hunger is rising".

"We need a massive increase in aid and sustained access to all areas in Yemen in order to rescue millions of Yemenis. If we don't, we will lose an entire generation of children to hunger," he warned.

The world's worst humanitarian crisis spiralled in Yemen after a Saudi-led coalition launched an offensive to support the government against Iran-aligned Huthi rebels in March 2015.&nbsp;

It has killed at least 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization.

The latest report comes as Yemeni government representatives and a rebel delegation were holding UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden.

The armed conflict was at the top of a list of the "key drivers of food insecurity", which has been further exacerbated by a protracted economic crisis in the impoverished Arab Peninsula country.

Yemen's finances have been devastated by the conflict, with the World Bank reporting the economy has contracted by around 50 percent since 2015.

Unemployment is running at over 30 percent and inflation is projected at around 42 percent, while the majority of state employees are not paid.

A slide in the value of the riyal also has caused food prices in the famine-threatened country to soar.

"A large proportion of the population, even in more stable areas, cannot access basic food commodities because food prices have jumped by 150 percent compared to pre-crisis levels," the statement said.

Around 20 million Yemenis are food insecure, UN agencies said on Saturday, adding the conflict ravaging the impoverished country was the key driver behind rising hunger levels.

Around 20 million Yemenis are food insecure, UN agencies said on Saturday, adding the conflict ravaging the impoverished country was the key driver behind rising hunger levels. "As many as 20 million Yemenis are food insecure in the world's worst humanitarian crisis," a joint statement by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the children's fund UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) said. "Already 15.9 million people wake up hungry" in Yemen, it said, citing an analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a food security survey. According to the IPC -- whose analysis is necessary to decide whether to declare famine in countries -- the 20 million people facing "severe acute food insecurity" represent 67 percent of Yemen's population. "What the IPC tells us is alarming," said Lise Grande, UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen. WFP head David Beasley said the analysis "is an alarm bell that shows hunger is rising". "We need a massive increase in aid and sustained access to all areas in Yemen in order to rescue millions of Yemenis. If we don't, we will lose an entire generation of children to hunger," he warned. The world's worst humanitarian crisis spiralled in Yemen after a Saudi-led coalition launched an offensive to support the government against Iran-aligned Huthi rebels in March 2015. It has killed at least 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization. The latest report comes as Yemeni government representatives and a rebel delegation were holding UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden. The armed conflict was at the top of a list of the "key drivers of food insecurity", which has been further exacerbated by a protracted economic crisis in the impoverished Arab Peninsula country. Yemen's finances have been devastated by the conflict, with the World Bank reporting the economy has contracted by around 50 percent since 2015. Unemployment is running at over 30 percent and inflation is projected at around 42 percent, while the majority of state employees are not paid. A slide in the value of the riyal also has caused food prices in the famine-threatened country to soar. "A large proportion of the population, even in more stable areas, cannot access basic food commodities because food prices have jumped by 150 percent compared to pre-crisis levels," the statement said.

Around 20 million Yemenis food insecure due to ongoing conflict: UN

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