&nbsp;A cholera outbreak in Yemen has killed 180 people since April 27, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Monday, hours after the Houthi-controlled health ministry said 115 had died from the disease in the capital Sanaa.

ICRC&#39;s Dominik Stillhart told reporters in the Yemeni city of Aden there were 11,000 more suspected cholera cases across the war-torn country. Authorities on Sunday had declared a state of emergency in Sanaa over the outbreak and called for international help to avert disaster.

Hospitals are short of space and medicine is in short supply as people struggle to cope with the bacterial disease.&nbsp;

Cholera is normally contracted by consumption of water and food contaminated by human feces. It leads to&nbsp;massive dehydrating diarrhoea attacks along with vomiting&nbsp;and cramps which if not quickly healed can&nbsp;kill a person in a few days.&nbsp;

Dominik Stillhart, director of operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), defined the situation in Yemen as &quot;catastrophic&quot;.&nbsp;During a press conference held in the country&#39;s capital city of Sanaa, he told reporters,&nbsp;&quot;There are people in the gardens, and some even in their cars with the IV drip (intravenous infusions) hanging from the window. There are up to four cholera patients in one single bed.&quot;&nbsp;

The disease is spreading nationwide and Mr. Stillhart informed that since April 27&nbsp;hospitals reported more than 8,500 suspected cases, 2,300 of which in the last week alone. &nbsp;

Hygiene is fundamental in combating the epidemy and a recent garbage crisis in the capital city is not helping. Mr. Stillart reported that piles of garbage lie on Sanaa&#39;s street, contributing to make the environment more prone to any bacterial disease.&nbsp;

On top of all this Yemen is facing a severe food shortage, to the point that the United Nations repeatedly warned that 17 million Yemeni citizens are on the brink of famine and the country is suffering from one of the world&#39;s worst hunger crisis. Children are&nbsp;suffering the most; according to UNICEF there are currently &quot;462,000 children are currently suffering from severe acute malnutrition &ndash; a nearly 200 per cent increase since 2014.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;What is happening today exceeds the capabilities of any healthy health system, so how can we (cope) when we are in these difficult and complicated conditions,&quot; Yemen&#39;s news agency Saba quoted the Houthi-run administration&#39;s health minister Mohammed Salem bin Hafeedh as saying.

Cholera was perhaps the last thing&nbsp;Yemen needed. The country, the poorest in the Arab world, faces its third year of a war which split the nation between the Shiite Houthi rebels, reportedly supported by Iran, and President&#39;s Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi government, strongly supported by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition. The United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan, Kuwait, Bahrein, Quatar and to a minor extent Pakistan and Somalia are all part of the coalition.&nbsp;

Recent reports say that a new faction, led by Aidaroos Al Zubaidi, has announced its intention to make the southern part of Yemen independent, where the majority of the oil resources lie, adding more chaos to an already fragmented situation. &nbsp;

Since the beginning of the Arab&#39;s spring in Yemen in 2011, Al Qaida in the Arabic Peninsula (AQAP) has been able to seize the opportunity and establish their control over swathes of land. And, where there is al Qaida, the US army goes. Yemen has become the most recent chapter of America&#39;s war on terror. The US have no presence on the ground and mainly conduct raids and drone attacks alongside Saudi Arabia. &nbsp;

Houthi forces are mainly in control of the northeastern part of the country &ndash; where the capital Sanaa is located &ndash; and of the crucial Red Sea port of Hodeida.

Despite being less armed and less in numbers they have been capable of inflicting continuous losses to Saudi troops. &nbsp;

This does not seem to worry Saudi&#39;s deputy crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, who said in a recent interview that his country could end the war in a few days by sending the ground force in, but they prefer to wait in order to avoid too many civilian casualties. &nbsp;

According to the UN, nearly 10,000 have already died in Yemen&#39;s war, a conflict which is once again the result of a hegemony struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran in order to establish their primacy over West Asia.&nbsp;

In the meanwhile the Saudi-led coalition is imposing a full-scale blockade against the Houthi-held areas which, given the country&#39;s location, has practically grounded its economy.&nbsp;

The country&#39;s main port of al Hodeidahis under Houthi&#39;s control and its functioning &ndash; once crucial in providing all kind of goods to 80 percent of the country &ndash; is way below normal with the immediate result of a hike in basic goods prices. &nbsp;

A possible Saudi-led military operation to retake control of the port is on the table, but it could result tremendosuly costly in terms of civilians deaths. The UN has warned of an imminent tragedy in case of fighting involving the port ant the adjacent city where 400,000 people live. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;The Houthis will do whatever they can in order to defend the al Hudaydah port,&quot; says Luca Nevola, research associate at the Yemen College of Middle Eastern Studies. &quot;They know that the port is the only source of whatever goods they need in order to survive, without al Hodeidahthe Houthis will be in great difficulty.&quot;

Saudis have recently renewed their intention to attack the port in order to prevent smuggled weapons to reach the Houthis. The coalition stated that they will open alternative routes, through the ports they control in the south.&nbsp;

Even if the US are fighting alongside Saudi Arabia, they are not expected to take part in an eventual operation to attack the port. &nbsp;

Yemen will most likely be on the table during the discussions that US President Donald Trump will have with the Saudi government during his visit, scheduled for May 19. &nbsp;

&#39;Weapons&#39; will also play a role in Trump&#39;s visit; A senior White House official told Reuters that the two countries are rushing to close a series of arm deals worth $100 billion. &nbsp;

Despite disagreement over the&nbsp;al Hodeidah port eventual attack, it does not seem that US support for Saudi Arabia&#39;s role in Yemen&#39;s war is not in doubt. &nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

It is the second outbreak in a country where already 10,000 had died due to one of the world's most forgotten war

A cholera outbreak in Yemen has killed 180 people since April 27, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Monday, hours after the Houthi-controlled health ministry said 115 had died from the disease in the capital Sanaa. ICRC's Dominik Stillhart told reporters in the Yemeni city of Aden there were 11,000 more suspected cholera cases across the war-torn country. Authorities on Sunday had declared a state of emergency in Sanaa over the outbreak and called for international help to avert disaster. Hospitals are short of space and medicine is in short supply as people struggle to cope with the bacterial disease. Cholera is normally contracted by consumption of water and food contaminated by human feces. It leads to massive dehydrating diarrhoea attacks along with vomiting and cramps which if not quickly healed can kill a person in a few days. Dominik Stillhart, director of operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), defined the situation in Yemen as "catastrophic". During a press conference held in the country's capital city of Sanaa, he told reporters, "There are people in the gardens, and some even in their cars with the IV drip (intravenous infusions) hanging from the window. There are up to four cholera patients in one single bed." The disease is spreading nationwide and Mr. Stillhart informed that since April 27 hospitals reported more than 8,500 suspected cases, 2,300 of which in the last week alone. Hygiene is fundamental in combating the epidemy and a recent garbage crisis in the capital city is not helping. Mr. Stillart reported that piles of garbage lie on Sanaa's street, contributing to make the environment more prone to any bacterial disease. On top of all this Yemen is facing a severe food shortage, to the point that the United Nations repeatedly warned that 17 million Yemeni citizens are on the brink of famine and the country is suffering from one of the world's worst hunger crisis. Children are suffering the most; according to UNICEF there are currently "462,000 children are currently suffering from severe acute malnutrition – a nearly 200 per cent increase since 2014." "What is happening today exceeds the capabilities of any healthy health system, so how can we (cope) when we are in these difficult and complicated conditions," Yemen's news agency Saba quoted the Houthi-run administration's health minister Mohammed Salem bin Hafeedh as saying. Cholera was perhaps the last thing Yemen needed. The country, the poorest in the Arab world, faces its third year of a war which split the nation between the Shiite Houthi rebels, reportedly supported by Iran, and President's Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi government, strongly supported by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition. The United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan, Kuwait, Bahrein, Quatar and to a minor extent Pakistan and Somalia are all part of the coalition. Recent reports say that a new faction, led by Aidaroos Al Zubaidi, has announced its intention to make the southern part of Yemen independent, where the majority of the oil resources lie, adding more chaos to an already fragmented situation. Since the beginning of the Arab's spring in Yemen in 2011, Al Qaida in the Arabic Peninsula (AQAP) has been able to seize the opportunity and establish their control over swathes of land. And, where there is al Qaida, the US army goes. Yemen has become the most recent chapter of America's war on terror. The US have no presence on the ground and mainly conduct raids and drone attacks alongside Saudi Arabia. Houthi forces are mainly in control of the northeastern part of the country – where the capital Sanaa is located – and of the crucial Red Sea port of Hodeida. Despite being less armed and less in numbers they have been capable of inflicting continuous losses to Saudi troops. This does not seem to worry Saudi's deputy crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, who said in a recent interview that his country could end the war in a few days by sending the ground force in, but they prefer to wait in order to avoid too many civilian casualties. According to the UN, nearly 10,000 have already died in Yemen's war, a conflict which is once again the result of a hegemony struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran in order to establish their primacy over West Asia. In the meanwhile the Saudi-led coalition is imposing a full-scale blockade against the Houthi-held areas which, given the country's location, has practically grounded its economy. The country's main port of al Hodeidahis under Houthi's control and its functioning – once crucial in providing all kind of goods to 80 percent of the country – is way below normal with the immediate result of a hike in basic goods prices. A possible Saudi-led military operation to retake control of the port is on the table, but it could result tremendosuly costly in terms of civilians deaths. The UN has warned of an imminent tragedy in case of fighting involving the port ant the adjacent city where 400,000 people live. "The Houthis will do whatever they can in order to defend the al Hudaydah port," says Luca Nevola, research associate at the Yemen College of Middle Eastern Studies. "They know that the port is the only source of whatever goods they need in order to survive, without al Hodeidahthe Houthis will be in great difficulty." Saudis have recently renewed their intention to attack the port in order to prevent smuggled weapons to reach the Houthis. The coalition stated that they will open alternative routes, through the ports they control in the south. Even if the US are fighting alongside Saudi Arabia, they are not expected to take part in an eventual operation to attack the port. Yemen will most likely be on the table during the discussions that US President Donald Trump will have with the Saudi government during his visit, scheduled for May 19. 'Weapons' will also play a role in Trump's visit; A senior White House official told Reuters that the two countries are rushing to close a series of arm deals worth $100 billion. Despite disagreement over the al Hodeidah port eventual attack, it does not seem that US support for Saudi Arabia's role in Yemen's war is not in doubt. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Cholera epidemic has killed 180 in Yemen: ICRC

Amnesty International today accused the Saudi-led Arab coalition battling rebels in Yemen of using banned cluster munitions in raids on residential areas.

The Brazilian-manufactured munitions were fired in a February 15 attack on three residential districts and agricultural land in Saada province of northern Yemen, a stronghold of the Shiite Huthi rebels, it said in a statement.

Two people were wounded in the attack, said Amnesty, which has also reported that the coalition used cluster munitions in October 2015 and May of last year.

The coalition &quot;absurdly justifies its use of cluster munitions by claiming it is in line with international law, despite concrete evidence of the human cost to civilians caught up in the conflict&quot;, said Lynn Maalouf, research director at Amnesty&#39;s Beirut regional office.

&quot;Cluster munitions are inherently indiscriminate weapons that inflict unimaginable harm on civilian lives,&quot; she said. 
Amnesty called for Brazil &quot;to join the Convention on Cluster Munitions and for Saudi Arabia and coalition members to stop all use of cluster munition&quot;.

Separately, Human Rights Watch in December accused the coalition of firing Brazilian-made rockets containing the outlawed munitions near two schools in Saada, killing two civilians and wounding six including a child.

The December 6 came a day after Saudi Arabia joined the US and Brazil in abstaining from a UN General Assembly vote that overwhelmingly endorsed an international ban on cluster bomb use.

The weapons can contain dozens of smaller bomblets that disperse over large areas, often continuing to kill and maim civilians long after they are dropped.

The Saudi-led coalition, which has come under repeated criticism over civilian casualties in Yemen, acknowledged in December it had made &quot;limited use&quot; of British-made cluster bombs but said it had stopped using them.

The conflict in Yemen has left more than 7,400 dead and 40,000 wounded since the coalition intervened on the government&#39;s side in March 2015, according to the UN.

(AFP)

'Cluster munitions are inherently indiscriminate weapons that inflict unimaginable harm on civilian lives,' said Amnesty's research director

Amnesty International today accused the Saudi-led Arab coalition battling rebels in Yemen of using banned cluster munitions in raids on residential areas. The Brazilian-manufactured munitions were fired in a February 15 attack on three residential districts and agricultural land in Saada province of northern Yemen, a stronghold of the Shiite Huthi rebels, it said in a statement. Two people were wounded in the attack, said Amnesty, which has also reported that the coalition used cluster munitions in October 2015 and May of last year. The coalition "absurdly justifies its use of cluster munitions by claiming it is in line with international law, despite concrete evidence of the human cost to civilians caught up in the conflict", said Lynn Maalouf, research director at Amnesty's Beirut regional office. "Cluster munitions are inherently indiscriminate weapons that inflict unimaginable harm on civilian lives," she said. Amnesty called for Brazil "to join the Convention on Cluster Munitions and for Saudi Arabia and coalition members to stop all use of cluster munition". Separately, Human Rights Watch in December accused the coalition of firing Brazilian-made rockets containing the outlawed munitions near two schools in Saada, killing two civilians and wounding six including a child. The December 6 came a day after Saudi Arabia joined the US and Brazil in abstaining from a UN General Assembly vote that overwhelmingly endorsed an international ban on cluster bomb use. The weapons can contain dozens of smaller bomblets that disperse over large areas, often continuing to kill and maim civilians long after they are dropped. The Saudi-led coalition, which has come under repeated criticism over civilian casualties in Yemen, acknowledged in December it had made "limited use" of British-made cluster bombs but said it had stopped using them. The conflict in Yemen has left more than 7,400 dead and 40,000 wounded since the coalition intervened on the government's side in March 2015, according to the UN. (AFP)

Saudi-led coalition used cluster bombs in Yemen: Amnesty

The United Nations aid chief warned that Yemen was sliding deeper into humanitarian crisis and could face famine this year.

The poor Arab country has been engulfed in war since a Saudi-led coalition launched a bombing campaign in March 2015 to push back Iran-backed Houthi rebels who had seized the capital Sanaa and other cities.

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&quot;The conflict in Yemen is now the primary driver of the largest food security emergency in the world,&quot; Stephen O&#39;Brien, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, told the Security Council yesterday.

&quot;If there is no immediate action, famine is now a possible scenario for 2017.&quot;

About 14 million people -- nearly 80 per cent of the entire Yemeni population -- are in need of food aid, half of whom are severely food insecure, O&#39;Brien said.

At least 2 million people need emergency food assistance to survive, he added.

The situation is particularly dire for children with some 2.2 million infants now suffering from acute malnourishment -- an increase of 53 per cent from late 2015.

&quot;Overall, the plight of children remains grim: a child under the age of 10 dying every 10 minutes of preventable causes,&quot; O&#39;Brien said.

The Saudi-led coalition&#39;s shutdown of the Sanaa airport has had a heavy toll on civilians because medicine cannot be flown in and Yemenis cannot receive treatment abroad.

O&#39;Brien warned that Yemen could run out of wheat within months because foreign banks no longer accept financial transactions with many of the country&#39;s commercial banks.

The country is almost entirely dependent on imports, most of which transit through the Hudaydah port, which was bombed by the coalition in 2015.

O&#39;Brien said the Saudi-led coalition had ordered a vessel carrying four mobile cranes for the port to leave Yemeni waters and it was now awaiting approval from Riyadh to deliver the new equipment.

The cranes will boost the port&#39;s capacity to handle humanitarian cargo.

The United Nations is calling for a ceasefire in Yemen to allow urgently needed deliveries of humanitarian aid and to resume political talks on ending the war.

About 10,000 civilians have died in the war, according to UN officials.

Returning from talks in the region, UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed took a swipe at Yemen&#39;s President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi for rejecting his peace proposals.

(AFP)

&nbsp;

The country has been engulfed in war since March 2015

The United Nations aid chief warned that Yemen was sliding deeper into humanitarian crisis and could face famine this year. The poor Arab country has been engulfed in war since a Saudi-led coalition launched a bombing campaign in March 2015 to push back Iran-backed Houthi rebels who had seized the capital Sanaa and other cities. The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs told the Security Council that nearly 80% of the population is in need of food aid × "The conflict in Yemen is now the primary driver of the largest food security emergency in the world," Stephen O'Brien, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, told the Security Council yesterday. "If there is no immediate action, famine is now a possible scenario for 2017." About 14 million people -- nearly 80 per cent of the entire Yemeni population -- are in need of food aid, half of whom are severely food insecure, O'Brien said. At least 2 million people need emergency food assistance to survive, he added. The situation is particularly dire for children with some 2.2 million infants now suffering from acute malnourishment -- an increase of 53 per cent from late 2015. "Overall, the plight of children remains grim: a child under the age of 10 dying every 10 minutes of preventable causes," O'Brien said. The Saudi-led coalition's shutdown of the Sanaa airport has had a heavy toll on civilians because medicine cannot be flown in and Yemenis cannot receive treatment abroad. O'Brien warned that Yemen could run out of wheat within months because foreign banks no longer accept financial transactions with many of the country's commercial banks. The country is almost entirely dependent on imports, most of which transit through the Hudaydah port, which was bombed by the coalition in 2015. O'Brien said the Saudi-led coalition had ordered a vessel carrying four mobile cranes for the port to leave Yemeni waters and it was now awaiting approval from Riyadh to deliver the new equipment. The cranes will boost the port's capacity to handle humanitarian cargo. The United Nations is calling for a ceasefire in Yemen to allow urgently needed deliveries of humanitarian aid and to resume political talks on ending the war. About 10,000 civilians have died in the war, according to UN officials. Returning from talks in the region, UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed took a swipe at Yemen's President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi for rejecting his peace proposals. (AFP)

UN: Yemen could face famine in 2017

The United States has decided to limit military support to Saudi Arabia&#39;s campaign in Yemen because of concerns over widespread civilian casualties and will halt a planned arms sale to the kingdom, US&nbsp;officials told Reuters.

The United States will also revamp future training of the kingdom&#39;s air force to focus on improving Saudi targeting practices, a persistent source of concern for Washington.

The decision reflects deep frustration within President Barack Obama&#39;s government over Saudi Arabia&#39;s practices in Yemen&#39;s 20-month-old war, which has killed more than 10,000 people and sparked humanitarian crises, including chronic food shortages, in the poorest country in the Middle East.

It could also further strain ties between Washington and Riyadh in the remaining days of Obama&#39;s administration and put the question of Saudi-US&nbsp;relations squarely before the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on January&nbsp;20.

A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen&#39;s civil war in March 2015 and has launched thousands of air strikes against the Iran-allied Houthi movement.

Rights groups say attacks on clinics, schools, markets and factories may amount to war crimes. Saudi Arabia has either denied the attacks or cited the presence of fighters in the targeted areas and has said it has tried to reduce civilian casualties.

An Obama administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said &quot;systemic, endemic&quot; problems in Saudi Arabia&#39;s targeting drove the US&nbsp;decision to halt a future weapons sale involving precision-guided munitions.

&quot;We&#39;ve decided not to move forward with some foreign military sales cases for air-dropped munitions, PGMs (precision-guided munitions),&quot; the official said.

&quot;That&#39;s obviously a direct reflection of the concerns that we have about Saudi strikes that have resulted in civilian casualties,&quot; the official said. A second official confirmed the decision to suspend the sale of certain weaponry.

The officials declined to offer details. But a specific case put on hold appeared to involve the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of guidance systems manufactured by Raytheon Co that convert dumb bombs into precision-guided munitions that can more accurately hit their targets.

At the same time, the United States has decided to increase efforts to address long-standing Saudi concerns by focusing more on border security, the official said. The kingdom has been subject to cross-border attacks by the Iran-allied Houthis.

&quot;They&rsquo;ve made a very strong request for greater intelligence sharing and more support for their border,&quot; the official said.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi embassy officials.

The White House launched a review of US&nbsp;assistance for the Saudi-led coalition after planes struck mourners at a funeral in the capital, Sanaa, in October, killing 140 people, according to one UN&nbsp;estimate.

The United Nations human rights office said in August that the Saudi-led coalition was responsible for roughly 60 per cent of the 3,800 civilians killed since March 2015.

Human rights groups have criticized the United States for supporting the Saudi war effort by selling the kingdom arms and refueling coalition jets. The United States says it has not vetted or selected Saudi targets in Yemen.

The Obama administration official said the United States would not halt refueling of the Saudi-led coalition planes.

&quot;For now that&#39;s not going to be touched. Again, the review could continue and people could make a different decision in the coming weeks,&quot; the official said.

&nbsp;

Smart versus dumb bombs

The decision to suspend the arms sale to the Saudis marks a reversal for the administration. Officials have long argued that supplying so-called &quot;smart weapons&quot; helped in reducing civilian casualties.

Last year, the Obama administration even had the US&nbsp;military send precision-guided munitions from its own stocks to replenish dwindling Saudi-led coalition supplies, a source close to the Saudi government has said.

But that argument ultimately failed to convince the Obama administration during its review, which the first official said was still ongoing.

&quot;It&#39;s not a matter of how smart or dumb the bombs are, it&#39;s that they&#39;re not picking the right targets. The case in point...is the one on the funeral,&quot; the official said.

The airstrikes on the funeral took place after the Saudi-led coalition received incorrect information from Yemeni military figures that armed Houthi leaders were in the area, an investigative body set up by the coalition said in October.

In an effort to reduce civilian casualties, the United States gave the Saudis detailed lists of sites to avoid bombing, Reuters has previously reported. But jets in the Saudi-led coalition have hit at least one target on that list.

&nbsp;

US still selling helicopters

Earlier this year, the US&nbsp;military reduced the number of US&nbsp;military personnel coordinating with the Saudi-led coalition&#39;s air campaign, slashing it to six people from a peak of 45 personnel.

&quot;Their responsibilities are being adjusted and limited so that they are less enmeshed in some of the offensive operations in Yemen,&quot; the official said.

Reuters reported earlier this year on concerns by some US&nbsp;officials that the United States could be implicated in possible Saudi violations of the laws of war.

In the view of some officials, US&nbsp;refueling and logistical support of Riyadh&#39;s air force - even more than the arms sales - risked making the United States a party to the Yemen conflict under international law.

In May, Washington suspended sales to Riyadh of cluster munitions, which release dozens of bomblets and are considered particularly dangerous to civilians.

Last week, the State Department announced plans to sell Saudi Arabia CH-47F Chinook cargo helicopters and related equipment, training and support worth $3.51 billion. US&nbsp;officials said the weaponry would help Saudi defend its border, not conduct offensive operations in Yemen.

(Reuters)

The decision reflects deep frustration within President Barack Obama's government over Saudi Arabia's practices in Yemen's 20-month-old war

The United States has decided to limit military support to Saudi Arabia's campaign in Yemen because of concerns over widespread civilian casualties and will halt a planned arms sale to the kingdom, US officials told Reuters. The United States will also revamp future training of the kingdom's air force to focus on improving Saudi targeting practices, a persistent source of concern for Washington. The decision reflects deep frustration within President Barack Obama's government over Saudi Arabia's practices in Yemen's 20-month-old war, which has killed more than 10,000 people and sparked humanitarian crises, including chronic food shortages, in the poorest country in the Middle East. It could also further strain ties between Washington and Riyadh in the remaining days of Obama's administration and put the question of Saudi-US relations squarely before the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on January 20. A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen's civil war in March 2015 and has launched thousands of air strikes against the Iran-allied Houthi movement. Rights groups say attacks on clinics, schools, markets and factories may amount to war crimes. Saudi Arabia has either denied the attacks or cited the presence of fighters in the targeted areas and has said it has tried to reduce civilian casualties. An Obama administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said "systemic, endemic" problems in Saudi Arabia's targeting drove the US decision to halt a future weapons sale involving precision-guided munitions. "We've decided not to move forward with some foreign military sales cases for air-dropped munitions, PGMs (precision-guided munitions)," the official said. "That's obviously a direct reflection of the concerns that we have about Saudi strikes that have resulted in civilian casualties," the official said. A second official confirmed the decision to suspend the sale of certain weaponry. The officials declined to offer details. But a specific case put on hold appeared to involve the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of guidance systems manufactured by Raytheon Co that convert dumb bombs into precision-guided munitions that can more accurately hit their targets. At the same time, the United States has decided to increase efforts to address long-standing Saudi concerns by focusing more on border security, the official said. The kingdom has been subject to cross-border attacks by the Iran-allied Houthis. "They’ve made a very strong request for greater intelligence sharing and more support for their border," the official said. There was no immediate comment from Saudi embassy officials. The White House launched a review of US assistance for the Saudi-led coalition after planes struck mourners at a funeral in the capital, Sanaa, in October, killing 140 people, according to one UN estimate. The United Nations human rights office said in August that the Saudi-led coalition was responsible for roughly 60 per cent of the 3,800 civilians killed since March 2015. Human rights groups have criticized the United States for supporting the Saudi war effort by selling the kingdom arms and refueling coalition jets. The United States says it has not vetted or selected Saudi targets in Yemen. The Obama administration official said the United States would not halt refueling of the Saudi-led coalition planes. "For now that's not going to be touched. Again, the review could continue and people could make a different decision in the coming weeks," the official said. Smart versus dumb bombs The decision to suspend the arms sale to the Saudis marks a reversal for the administration. Officials have long argued that supplying so-called "smart weapons" helped in reducing civilian casualties. Last year, the Obama administration even had the US military send precision-guided munitions from its own stocks to replenish dwindling Saudi-led coalition supplies, a source close to the Saudi government has said. But that argument ultimately failed to convince the Obama administration during its review, which the first official said was still ongoing. "It's not a matter of how smart or dumb the bombs are, it's that they're not picking the right targets. The case in point...is the one on the funeral," the official said. The airstrikes on the funeral took place after the Saudi-led coalition received incorrect information from Yemeni military figures that armed Houthi leaders were in the area, an investigative body set up by the coalition said in October. In an effort to reduce civilian casualties, the United States gave the Saudis detailed lists of sites to avoid bombing, Reuters has previously reported. But jets in the Saudi-led coalition have hit at least one target on that list. US still selling helicopters Earlier this year, the US military reduced the number of US military personnel coordinating with the Saudi-led coalition's air campaign, slashing it to six people from a peak of 45 personnel. "Their responsibilities are being adjusted and limited so that they are less enmeshed in some of the offensive operations in Yemen," the official said. Reuters reported earlier this year on concerns by some US officials that the United States could be implicated in possible Saudi violations of the laws of war. In the view of some officials, US refueling and logistical support of Riyadh's air force - even more than the arms sales - risked making the United States a party to the Yemen conflict under international law. In May, Washington suspended sales to Riyadh of cluster munitions, which release dozens of bomblets and are considered particularly dangerous to civilians. Last week, the State Department announced plans to sell Saudi Arabia CH-47F Chinook cargo helicopters and related equipment, training and support worth $3.51 billion. US officials said the weaponry would help Saudi defend its border, not conduct offensive operations in Yemen. (Reuters)

US to limit military support to Saudi, citing civilian deaths in Yemen campaign

The Saudi-led coalition carried out a deadly &quot;double-tap&quot; air strike on a funeral ceremony in Yemen this month in violation of its obligations under international humanitarian law, a UN panel of experts concluded.

The experts told the UN Security Council in a report obtained by AFP on Thursday that it continues to investigate whether the second air strike directly harmed medical personnel in what could amount to war crimes.

More than 140 people were killed and 525 injured in the air strike on October 8 on a community hall packed with 750 mourners attending the funeral of the rebel Huthi interior minister&#39;s father.

&quot;The panel has not seen any demonstrable evidence to suggest that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition took effective and adequate precautionary measures to minimize civilian casualties in respect of the two air strikes so far confirmed,&quot; said the report sent to the council on Monday.

&quot;In contrast, there is evidence to suggest that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition violated its obligations relating to the protection of the wounded and persons hors de combat in its second air strike.&quot;

Those killed in the bombing included the head of the Huthi Republican Guard, the mayor of Sanaa, a prominent member of the Huthi military council, two commanders and a former governor.

Yemen&#39;s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and his son attended the funeral, but left before the attack, the report said.

The experts found that the timing between the two strikes indicated the &quot;deliberate use of the &#39;double tap&#39; tactic, the consequences of which are that individuals responding to the first explosion are caught by the second.&quot;

The attack resulted in &quot;disproportionately higher numbers of civilian casualties, when compared to military casualties, and that this could have been anticipated prior to the attack,&quot; the report added.

The Saudi-led Arab coalition announced a ceasefire after the attack on the funeral ceremony triggered global outrage and prompted the United States to review its support of the air war in Yemen.

The coalition intervened in March 2015 to support the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi after Huthi rebels overran much of the impoverished country.

Nearly 6,900 people have been killed -- more than half of them civilians -- in the conflict, while another three million are displaced and some 70 percent of the population needs food aid.

The panel said it was waiting for a response from the coalition&#39;s head of investigation concerning its findings.

(AFP)

A UN panel of experts concluded that the timing between the two strikes indicates the deliberate use of the 'double tap tactic'

The Saudi-led coalition carried out a deadly "double-tap" air strike on a funeral ceremony in Yemen this month in violation of its obligations under international humanitarian law, a UN panel of experts concluded. The experts told the UN Security Council in a report obtained by AFP on Thursday that it continues to investigate whether the second air strike directly harmed medical personnel in what could amount to war crimes. More than 140 people were killed and 525 injured in the air strike on October 8 on a community hall packed with 750 mourners attending the funeral of the rebel Huthi interior minister's father. "The panel has not seen any demonstrable evidence to suggest that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition took effective and adequate precautionary measures to minimize civilian casualties in respect of the two air strikes so far confirmed," said the report sent to the council on Monday. "In contrast, there is evidence to suggest that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition violated its obligations relating to the protection of the wounded and persons hors de combat in its second air strike." Those killed in the bombing included the head of the Huthi Republican Guard, the mayor of Sanaa, a prominent member of the Huthi military council, two commanders and a former governor. Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and his son attended the funeral, but left before the attack, the report said. The experts found that the timing between the two strikes indicated the "deliberate use of the 'double tap' tactic, the consequences of which are that individuals responding to the first explosion are caught by the second." The attack resulted in "disproportionately higher numbers of civilian casualties, when compared to military casualties, and that this could have been anticipated prior to the attack," the report added. The Saudi-led Arab coalition announced a ceasefire after the attack on the funeral ceremony triggered global outrage and prompted the United States to review its support of the air war in Yemen. The coalition intervened in March 2015 to support the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi after Huthi rebels overran much of the impoverished country. Nearly 6,900 people have been killed -- more than half of them civilians -- in the conflict, while another three million are displaced and some 70 percent of the population needs food aid. The panel said it was waiting for a response from the coalition's head of investigation concerning its findings. (AFP)

Saudi-led coalition deliberately planned strike on Yemen funeral: UN

Saudi Arabia&#39;s Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir accused Yemen&#39;s Huthi rebels of stepping up their attacks Thursday and of putting in danger a day-old UN-mandated ceasefire.

Jubeir told reporters in Washington that Saudi Arabia reserves the right to defend itself from further the Houthi attacks, but stopped short of declaring the truce a failure.

&quot;As of this morning Washington time there had been more than 150 violations by the Huthi-Saleh side,&quot; Jubeir said, referring to the rebels and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Sitting with US Secretary of State John Kerry after talks at the State Department, Jubeir called the alleged Huthi attacks an &quot;escalation in the violence, rather than a reduction.&quot;

And he accused the Huthis of launching a missile across the border into Saudi territory and killing a man and his daughter.

Kerry condemned the cross-border attack, but was keen to insist that his guest confirm that the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen still intends to respect the ceasefire.

&quot;If I can just interrupt,&quot; Kerry interjected as Jubeir finished his remarks.

&quot;It is clear that Saudi Arabia is still committed to the ceasefire and as far as you&#39;re concerned the ceasefire is still in effect. Is that correct?&quot;

Jubeir responded that the kingdom has indicated that it supports Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi&#39;s call for a truce.

&quot;The coalition countries are abiding by this,&quot; he said.

&quot;But I want to emphasize that we have a right to defend ourselves, we have a right to protect our borders, we have a right to protect our citizens and we have to ensure that the other side maintains its commitment to the cessation of hostilities.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said more than 150 ceasefire violations had taken place

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir accused Yemen's Huthi rebels of stepping up their attacks Thursday and of putting in danger a day-old UN-mandated ceasefire. Jubeir told reporters in Washington that Saudi Arabia reserves the right to defend itself from further the Houthi attacks, but stopped short of declaring the truce a failure. "As of this morning Washington time there had been more than 150 violations by the Huthi-Saleh side," Jubeir said, referring to the rebels and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Sitting with US Secretary of State John Kerry after talks at the State Department, Jubeir called the alleged Huthi attacks an "escalation in the violence, rather than a reduction." And he accused the Huthis of launching a missile across the border into Saudi territory and killing a man and his daughter. Kerry condemned the cross-border attack, but was keen to insist that his guest confirm that the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen still intends to respect the ceasefire. "If I can just interrupt," Kerry interjected as Jubeir finished his remarks. "It is clear that Saudi Arabia is still committed to the ceasefire and as far as you're concerned the ceasefire is still in effect. Is that correct?" Jubeir responded that the kingdom has indicated that it supports Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's call for a truce. "The coalition countries are abiding by this," he said. "But I want to emphasize that we have a right to defend ourselves, we have a right to protect our borders, we have a right to protect our citizens and we have to ensure that the other side maintains its commitment to the cessation of hostilities." (AFP)

Saudi Arabia accuses Yemen rebels of breaching ceasefire

A US&nbsp;Navy&nbsp;guided missile destroyer was targeted on Sunday in a failed missile attack from territory in Yemen controlled by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, a US&nbsp;military spokesman told Reuters, saying neither of the two missiles hit the ship.

The attempted strike on the USS Mason, which was first reported by Reuters, came just a week after a United Arab Emirates vessel came under attack from Houthis, and suggests growing risks to the US&nbsp;military from Yemen&#39;s conflict.

The US&nbsp;government, which has become increasingly vocal about civilian casualties in the war, this weekend announced a review of its support to a Saudi Arabia-led coalition battling the Houthis, after a strike on mourners in the capital Sanaa that killed up to 140 people.&nbsp;The failed missile attack on the USS Mason began around 7 pm&nbsp;local time, when the ship detected two inbound missiles over a 60-minute period in the Red Sea off Yemen&#39;s coast, the US&nbsp;military said.

&quot;Both missiles impacted the water before reaching the ship,&quot; Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said. &quot;There were no injuries to our sailors and no damage to the ship.&quot;

Saudi Arabia and the United States blame Shi&#39;ite Iran for supplying weapons to the Houthis. Tehran views the Houthis, who are from a Shi&#39;ite sect, as the legitimate authority in Yemen, but denies it supplies them with weapons.

A US&nbsp;defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the first missile triggered counter-measures from the USS Mason. It was not immediately clear whether those defenses may have helped prevent a direct hit on the ship.&nbsp;The USS Mason did not return fire, the official said, adding that the incident took place just north of the Bab al-Mandab strait off Yemen&#39;s southern coast.

Last week&#39;s attack on the UAE vessel also took place around the Bab al-Mandab strait, in what the UAE branded an &quot;act of terrorism&quot;.&nbsp;In 2013, more than 3.4 million barrels of oil passed through the 20 kilometre&nbsp;(12 mile)-wide Bab al-Mandab each day, the US&nbsp;Energy Information Administration says.

It was unclear what actions the US&nbsp;military might take, but Davis stressed a commitment to defend freedom of navigation and protect US&nbsp;forces.&nbsp;&quot;We will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of our ships and our service members,&quot; he said.

The attack also came the same day that Yemen&#39;s powerful former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, a key Houthi ally, called for an escalation of attacks against Saudi Arabia, demanding &quot;battle readiness at the fronts on the (Saudi) border&quot;.

An estimated 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen&#39;s war. The United Nations blames Saudi-led coalition strikes for 60 per cent of some 3,800 civilian deaths since they began in March 2015.

(Reuters)

It was unclear how the US?military might respond, but it stressed commitment to defend its freedom of navigation and protect its?forces

A US Navy guided missile destroyer was targeted on Sunday in a failed missile attack from territory in Yemen controlled by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, a US military spokesman told Reuters, saying neither of the two missiles hit the ship. The attempted strike on the USS Mason, which was first reported by Reuters, came just a week after a United Arab Emirates vessel came under attack from Houthis, and suggests growing risks to the US military from Yemen's conflict. The US government, which has become increasingly vocal about civilian casualties in the war, this weekend announced a review of its support to a Saudi Arabia-led coalition battling the Houthis, after a strike on mourners in the capital Sanaa that killed up to 140 people. The failed missile attack on the USS Mason began around 7 pm local time, when the ship detected two inbound missiles over a 60-minute period in the Red Sea off Yemen's coast, the US military said. "Both missiles impacted the water before reaching the ship," Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said. "There were no injuries to our sailors and no damage to the ship." Saudi Arabia and the United States blame Shi'ite Iran for supplying weapons to the Houthis. Tehran views the Houthis, who are from a Shi'ite sect, as the legitimate authority in Yemen, but denies it supplies them with weapons. A US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the first missile triggered counter-measures from the USS Mason. It was not immediately clear whether those defenses may have helped prevent a direct hit on the ship. The USS Mason did not return fire, the official said, adding that the incident took place just north of the Bab al-Mandab strait off Yemen's southern coast. Last week's attack on the UAE vessel also took place around the Bab al-Mandab strait, in what the UAE branded an "act of terrorism". In 2013, more than 3.4 million barrels of oil passed through the 20 kilometre (12 mile)-wide Bab al-Mandab each day, the US Energy Information Administration says. It was unclear what actions the US military might take, but Davis stressed a commitment to defend freedom of navigation and protect US forces. "We will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of our ships and our service members," he said. The attack also came the same day that Yemen's powerful former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, a key Houthi ally, called for an escalation of attacks against Saudi Arabia, demanding "battle readiness at the fronts on the (Saudi) border". An estimated 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen's war. The United Nations blames Saudi-led coalition strikes for 60 per cent of some 3,800 civilian deaths since they began in March 2015. (Reuters)

Navy ship targeted in failed missile attack from Yemen: US

Former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, an ally of the Houthi rebels, called for an advance against Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Saleh spoke a day after an air strike on a funeral ceremony killed more than 140 people in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.

&quot;I call upon all the sons of this nation ... to face this aggression with all their strength and you must proceed to the battlefronts,&quot; Saleh said in a televised speech, Reuters reported. &quot;The defence ministry, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and the interior ministry must put in place the necessary measures for battle readiness at the fronts on the (Saudi) border.&quot;

Houthi rebels had accused the Arab coalition of Saturday&#39;s attack that killed and wounded hundreds. The Saudi-led coalition denied any responsibility but promised an investigation into the incident.

&quot;The coalition will immediately investigate this case along with Joint Incidents Assessment Team in Yemen and experts from the United States who participated in previous investigations,&quot; it said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, reported AFP.

&quot;The coalition is also willing to provide the investigation team with any data and information related to its military operations today, at the incident`s location and the surrounding areas,&quot; it said. &quot;The result of the investigation should be announced as soon as it&#39;s completed.&quot;

UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Sunday called for an impartial and independent probe into the raids, demanding the perpetrators face justice.

&quot;The Secretary-General condemns the attack on an event hall,&quot; said a statement from Ban&#39;s office. &quot;Any deliberate attack against civilians is utterly unacceptable.&quot;

The UN humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, said aid workers were &quot;shocked and outraged&quot; by the attacks that hit a community hall in the capital Sanaa where mourners had gathered, AFP reported. He called for an immediate investigation and said the international community must exert pressure to ensure civilians are protected.

White House National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in a statement that the US has &#39; initiated an immediate review of our already significantly reduced support to the Saudi-led coalition and are prepared to adjust our support so as to better align with US principles, values and interests, including achieving an immediate and durable end to Yemen`s tragic conflict.&#39;

Price called on all sides to implement an immediate ceasefire. &quot;US security cooperation with Saudi Arabia is not a blank check,&quot; he stressed.

The rebel-controlled news site sabanews.net said that the coalition jets hit a building in southern Sana&#39;a where hundreds were mourning the death of the father of an influential local official. Saturday&rsquo;s strike was one of the deadliest attacks since the bombing campaign began in support of Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

The airstrikes have come in at a time when Saudi Arabia is under increasing international scrutiny over allegations of civilian deaths in its air raids.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The Arab coalition has denied any responsibility for the attack even as the US initiated a review of its support to the group

Former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, an ally of the Houthi rebels, called for an advance against Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Saleh spoke a day after an air strike on a funeral ceremony killed more than 140 people in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. "I call upon all the sons of this nation ... to face this aggression with all their strength and you must proceed to the battlefronts," Saleh said in a televised speech, Reuters reported. "The defence ministry, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and the interior ministry must put in place the necessary measures for battle readiness at the fronts on the (Saudi) border." Houthi rebels had accused the Arab coalition of Saturday's attack that killed and wounded hundreds. The Saudi-led coalition denied any responsibility but promised an investigation into the incident. "The coalition will immediately investigate this case along with Joint Incidents Assessment Team in Yemen and experts from the United States who participated in previous investigations," it said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, reported AFP. "The coalition is also willing to provide the investigation team with any data and information related to its military operations today, at the incident`s location and the surrounding areas," it said. "The result of the investigation should be announced as soon as it's completed." UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Sunday called for an impartial and independent probe into the raids, demanding the perpetrators face justice. "The Secretary-General condemns the attack on an event hall," said a statement from Ban's office. "Any deliberate attack against civilians is utterly unacceptable." The UN humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, said aid workers were "shocked and outraged" by the attacks that hit a community hall in the capital Sanaa where mourners had gathered, AFP reported. He called for an immediate investigation and said the international community must exert pressure to ensure civilians are protected. White House National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in a statement that the US has ' initiated an immediate review of our already significantly reduced support to the Saudi-led coalition and are prepared to adjust our support so as to better align with US principles, values and interests, including achieving an immediate and durable end to Yemen`s tragic conflict.' Price called on all sides to implement an immediate ceasefire. "US security cooperation with Saudi Arabia is not a blank check," he stressed. The rebel-controlled news site sabanews.net said that the coalition jets hit a building in southern Sana'a where hundreds were mourning the death of the father of an influential local official. Saturday’s strike was one of the deadliest attacks since the bombing campaign began in support of Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. The airstrikes have come in at a time when Saudi Arabia is under increasing international scrutiny over allegations of civilian deaths in its air raids. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Former Yemeni president urges action against Saudi Arabia to avenge funeral air strike

War-torn Yemen is suffering from a cholera outbreak, the UN&#39;s children agency and the World Health Organization said Friday, posing a further threat to infants in the impoverished nation.&nbsp;

&quot;This outbreak adds to the misery of millions of children in Yemen,&quot; UNICEF Yemen representative Julien Harneis said in a statement.&nbsp;&quot;Children are at a particularly high risk if the current cholera outbreak is not urgently contained especially since the health system in Yemen is crumbling as the conflict continues.&quot;

The WHO, citing Yemeni health ministry figures, said that eight cholera cases mostly involving children had been recorded in one neighbourhood of the rebel-held capital Sana&#39;a.

They were being treated for extreme dehydration in an isolated section of the capital&#39;s Al-Sabiine hospital, it said.

The WHO said the scarcity of drinkable water has worsened the hygiene situation in Yemen, fuelling a marked increase in cases of severe diarrhoea, in particular among people displaced from their homes in the centre of the country.

UNICEF said health professionals in Sanaa had reported several cases, as had medics in Taez, Yemen&#39;s third largest city.&nbsp;

It said its team was working with doctors in Yemen to establish the cause of the outbreak and called on international donors to provide funding to work to improve the health situation there.&nbsp;

UNICEF said that cholera, a disease that is transmitted through contaminated drinking water and causes acute diarrhoea, could prove fatal in up to 15 per cent of untreated cases.

The agency says nearly three million people in Yemen are in need of immediate food supplies, while 1.5 million children suffer malnutrition, including 370,000 enduring very severe malnutrition that weakens their immune system.

The conflict between Yemen&#39;s government and Iran-backed Houthi rebels escalated last year with the intervention of a Saudi-led Arab coalition in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

The UN says more than 6,700 people have been killed and more than three million displaced by fighting in Yemen since March 2015, when the coalition launched its campaign.

(AFP)

&nbsp;

WHO, citing Yemeni health ministry figures, said eight cholera cases mostly involving children have been recorded in capital city of Sanaa

War-torn Yemen is suffering from a cholera outbreak, the UN's children agency and the World Health Organization said Friday, posing a further threat to infants in the impoverished nation. "This outbreak adds to the misery of millions of children in Yemen," UNICEF Yemen representative Julien Harneis said in a statement. "Children are at a particularly high risk if the current cholera outbreak is not urgently contained especially since the health system in Yemen is crumbling as the conflict continues." The WHO, citing Yemeni health ministry figures, said that eight cholera cases mostly involving children had been recorded in one neighbourhood of the rebel-held capital Sana'a. They were being treated for extreme dehydration in an isolated section of the capital's Al-Sabiine hospital, it said. The WHO said the scarcity of drinkable water has worsened the hygiene situation in Yemen, fuelling a marked increase in cases of severe diarrhoea, in particular among people displaced from their homes in the centre of the country. UNICEF said health professionals in Sanaa had reported several cases, as had medics in Taez, Yemen's third largest city. It said its team was working with doctors in Yemen to establish the cause of the outbreak and called on international donors to provide funding to work to improve the health situation there. UNICEF said that cholera, a disease that is transmitted through contaminated drinking water and causes acute diarrhoea, could prove fatal in up to 15 per cent of untreated cases. The agency says nearly three million people in Yemen are in need of immediate food supplies, while 1.5 million children suffer malnutrition, including 370,000 enduring very severe malnutrition that weakens their immune system. The conflict between Yemen's government and Iran-backed Houthi rebels escalated last year with the intervention of a Saudi-led Arab coalition in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. The UN says more than 6,700 people have been killed and more than three million displaced by fighting in Yemen since March 2015, when the coalition launched its campaign. (AFP)

Children at risk as cholera grips war-torn Yemen: UN

At least nine people were killed in an Arab coalition air strike on the rebel-held Yemeni city of Ibb on Saturday. 
 
&quot;Nine civilians were killed, and another nine were wounded, treated and discharged from the hospital,&quot; Abdul Malik Al-Sanani, the manager of the city&#39;s al-Thawra Hospital, told Reuters. The dead included a family of three children and their parents. 
 
The Houthi group had siezed Ibb in 2014. 
&nbsp; 
The Saudi-led campaign against the Houthis began in March last year. The coalition has repeatedly said it does not target civilians. 
 
&quot;There is no military, no security, no government and nor even rebels&#39; establishment here...here only poor residents,&quot; resident Mohamed Kasim spoke to Xinhua by phone. 
 
A coalition air strike on the Houthi-held Yemeni port city of Hodeidah killed 26 civilians on Wednesday. 
 
Since the Saudi-led war against the Houthis, more than 6,000 people have been killed, about half of them civilians. 
 
The fight in Yemen is between those loyal to&nbsp;President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and Houthis, who forced Hadi to escape the Yemeni capital Sanaa.&nbsp; 
 
The Saudi-led coalition has supported President Hadi in his battle against the Houthis. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Although Saudi has vowed not to attack Yemeni citizens, its attacks have killed around 3,000 of them since 2015

At least nine people were killed in an Arab coalition air strike on the rebel-held Yemeni city of Ibb on Saturday. "Nine civilians were killed, and another nine were wounded, treated and discharged from the hospital," Abdul Malik Al-Sanani, the manager of the city's al-Thawra Hospital, told Reuters. The dead included a family of three children and their parents. The Houthi group had siezed Ibb in 2014. The Saudi-led campaign against the Houthis began in March last year. The coalition has repeatedly said it does not target civilians. "There is no military, no security, no government and nor even rebels' establishment here...here only poor residents," resident Mohamed Kasim spoke to Xinhua by phone. A coalition air strike on the Houthi-held Yemeni port city of Hodeidah killed 26 civilians on Wednesday. Since the Saudi-led war against the Houthis, more than 6,000 people have been killed, about half of them civilians. The fight in Yemen is between those loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and Houthis, who forced Hadi to escape the Yemeni capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led coalition has supported President Hadi in his battle against the Houthis. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Arab coalition air strikes kill nine in Yemeni city of Ibb

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