In a rare break with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-calls-cohen-liar-after-his-sentencing-report-183616">President Donald Trump</a>, the Senate voted on Wednesday to move ahead with a resolution to end US military support for the Saudi Arabian-led coalition in the war in Yemen and lawmakers vowed to push for sanctions against the kingdom in the new year.

Eleven of Trump's fellow Republicans joined Democrats to provide the 60 votes needed to advance the war powers resolution in the Republican-led chamber. The vote paved the way for debate and a vote on US involvement in a conflict that has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians, many of them young children and left millions more at risk of starvation and death by disease.

The nearly unprecedented break the 11 Republicans made from Trump was largely symbolic because the House of Representatives is not expected to take the matter up this year. Trump has threatened a veto.

But backers of the resolution said it sent an important message that lawmakers are unhappy with the humanitarian disaster in Yemen, and angry about the lack of a strong US response to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers also vowed to keep pushing after the new Congress take office in January for further tough action against Saudi Arabia, including legislation to impose human rights sanctions and opposition to weapons sales.

"If you want to buy our weapons, there are certain things you have to accept. How you use them matters," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told a news conference.

"The individual, the crown prince, is so toxic, so tainted, so flawed, that I can't ever see myself doing business with Saudi Arabia unless there's a change there," said Graham, generally a close Trump ally in the Senate.

Republicans will hold a slightly larger majority in the new Senate, but Democrats will take control of the House of Representatives, increasing the chances of sanctions legislation passing.

The Trump administration had urged Congress not to oppose US fuelling, targeting help and other support for the Saudi-led coalition as it battles the Houthis, Shi'ite Muslim fighters viewed by Yemen's neighbours as agents of Iran.

Earlier on Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended the administration's handling of Khashoggi's killing.

Pompeo repeated his assertion there was no direct evidence linking Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the October 2 killing of Khashoggi in Istanbul, despite a CIA assessment it was likely he ordered the killing.

Riyadh initially denied knowledge of Khashoggi’s disappearance, then offered contradictory explanations, including that he was killed in a rogue operation.

TRUMP STANDS BY CROWN PRINCE

Trump condemned the murder but has stood by the Saudi crown prince. "He's the leader of Saudi Arabia. They've been a very good ally," Trump told Reuters on Tuesday in an Oval Office interview.

Central Intelligence Agency Director Gina Haspel briefed leaders of the House of Representatives behind closed doors about the killing. After the classified meeting, House members said they had not heard anything to change their minds about Khashoggi's death.

Democratic Representative Eliot Engel, likely the next chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee when Democrats take control of the House in January, said he intended to hold hearings starting early next year on all aspects of Saudi behaviour and the US-Saudi relationship.

"Saudi Arabia's an important ... partner, but I don't think we can simply look the other way when things happen and talk about business as usual," Engel said.

Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who held a separate briefing for the entire Senate, are due to discuss Saudi Arabia with the entire House on Thursday.

But several lawmakers have urged that Congress keep the Yemen conflict separate from anger over the killing of Khashoggi, a US resident and Washington Post columnist.

They view Saudi Arabia as an essential counterweight in the Middle East to Iran, arch-enemy of close US ally Israel. White House officials see Saudi support as a linchpin for an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan yet to be unveiled by the Trump administration.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on Wednesday in Jerusalem that Saudi Arabia's role in the Middle East must be taken into account in responding to Khashoggi's "horrific" fate.

"If Saudi Arabia were to be destabilized, the world would be destabilized," Netanyahu told foreign reporters, speaking in English.

In a rare break with President Donald Trump, the Senate voted on Wednesday to move ahead with a resolution to end US military support for the Saudi Arabian-led coalition in the war in Yemen and lawmakers vowed to push for sanctions against the kingdom in the new year.

In a rare break with President Donald Trump, the Senate voted on Wednesday to move ahead with a resolution to end US military support for the Saudi Arabian-led coalition in the war in Yemen and lawmakers vowed to push for sanctions against the kingdom in the new year. Eleven of Trump's fellow Republicans joined Democrats to provide the 60 votes needed to advance the war powers resolution in the Republican-led chamber. The vote paved the way for debate and a vote on US involvement in a conflict that has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians, many of them young children and left millions more at risk of starvation and death by disease. The nearly unprecedented break the 11 Republicans made from Trump was largely symbolic because the House of Representatives is not expected to take the matter up this year. Trump has threatened a veto. But backers of the resolution said it sent an important message that lawmakers are unhappy with the humanitarian disaster in Yemen, and angry about the lack of a strong US response to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey. Republican and Democratic lawmakers also vowed to keep pushing after the new Congress take office in January for further tough action against Saudi Arabia, including legislation to impose human rights sanctions and opposition to weapons sales. "If you want to buy our weapons, there are certain things you have to accept. How you use them matters," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told a news conference. "The individual, the crown prince, is so toxic, so tainted, so flawed, that I can't ever see myself doing business with Saudi Arabia unless there's a change there," said Graham, generally a close Trump ally in the Senate. Republicans will hold a slightly larger majority in the new Senate, but Democrats will take control of the House of Representatives, increasing the chances of sanctions legislation passing. The Trump administration had urged Congress not to oppose US fuelling, targeting help and other support for the Saudi-led coalition as it battles the Houthis, Shi'ite Muslim fighters viewed by Yemen's neighbours as agents of Iran. Earlier on Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended the administration's handling of Khashoggi's killing. Pompeo repeated his assertion there was no direct evidence linking Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the October 2 killing of Khashoggi in Istanbul, despite a CIA assessment it was likely he ordered the killing. Riyadh initially denied knowledge of Khashoggi’s disappearance, then offered contradictory explanations, including that he was killed in a rogue operation. TRUMP STANDS BY CROWN PRINCE Trump condemned the murder but has stood by the Saudi crown prince. "He's the leader of Saudi Arabia. They've been a very good ally," Trump told Reuters on Tuesday in an Oval Office interview. Central Intelligence Agency Director Gina Haspel briefed leaders of the House of Representatives behind closed doors about the killing. After the classified meeting, House members said they had not heard anything to change their minds about Khashoggi's death. Democratic Representative Eliot Engel, likely the next chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee when Democrats take control of the House in January, said he intended to hold hearings starting early next year on all aspects of Saudi behaviour and the US-Saudi relationship. "Saudi Arabia's an important ... partner, but I don't think we can simply look the other way when things happen and talk about business as usual," Engel said. Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who held a separate briefing for the entire Senate, are due to discuss Saudi Arabia with the entire House on Thursday. But several lawmakers have urged that Congress keep the Yemen conflict separate from anger over the killing of Khashoggi, a US resident and Washington Post columnist. They view Saudi Arabia as an essential counterweight in the Middle East to Iran, arch-enemy of close US ally Israel. White House officials see Saudi support as a linchpin for an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan yet to be unveiled by the Trump administration. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on Wednesday in Jerusalem that Saudi Arabia's role in the Middle East must be taken into account in responding to Khashoggi's "horrific" fate. "If Saudi Arabia were to be destabilized, the world would be destabilized," Netanyahu told foreign reporters, speaking in English.

Defying Trump, US Senate advances measure to end support for Saudis in Yemen

Yemen's warring parties agreed on Wednesday to reopen Sanaa airport in the Houthi-held capital and resume oil and gas exports, sources said, as Western nations pressed them to accept confidence-building steps before the end of UN-led peace talks in Sweden.

The Iranian-aligned Houthi movement and the Saudi-backed government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi were still discussing a United Nations proposal on the contested port city of Hodeidah, a lifeline for millions of Yemenis facing starvation.

Hadi's premier, Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, told reporters in the government's base in the southern port of Aden that there might not be enough time for full agreement on Hodeidah as the talks, the first in over two years, conclude on Thursday.

"We talked about (it) a lot but with the limited time we have, we can’t talk about all the points in this round. The important thing is to build confidence and then go into the details of the Hodeidah file," he said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was due to attend the final day of talks to support efforts to launch a political process that would end the nearly four-year-old war.

Gueterres called Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss Yemen, Saudi state news agency reported.

Another round of talks could be held in early 2019.

The Houthis hold most population centres, including Hodeidah and Sanaa from which it ousted Hadi's government in 2014.

A UN spokeswoman said both parties had received a "final package" of agreements covering the status of Hodeidah, Sanaa airport. "We hope to receive positive responses," she said.

The two parties agreed that international flights would stop at a government-held airport for safety&nbsp;to be carried out before flying in or out of Sanaa, two sources familiar with the talks said.

Houthi delegate Abdelmajid Hanash said international flights from and to Sanaa would stop in Aden and the airport in Sayun in the south, but the UN would oversee the safety procedures. The UN declined to comment.

As part of confidence-building measures, both sides agreed to resume oil and gas exports to help shore up central bank coffers. Revenues would be used to pay salaries in both government and Houthi-held areas, delegates from both sides told Reuters.

The Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in the war in 2015 to restore Hadi's government controls Yemen's air space.

The coalition has faced increased scrutiny from Western allies, some of which supply it with arms and intelligence, over the war that has killed tens of thousands of people.

Trump gesture

US President Donald Trump told Reuters on Tuesday he could abide by legislation to end US support for coalition forces in the war following outrage over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

"I hate to see what's going on in Yemen," Trump said. "But it takes two to tango. I'd want to see Iran pull out of Yemen too."

The conflict is seen in the Middle East as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which welcomed peace efforts.

Asked about the US Senate deliberations, Saeed said Yemen's stability was important for regional security: "The US cannot overlook what Iran is doing in Yemen."

UN envoy Martin Griffiths, trying to avert a full-scale assault on Hodeidah, where coalition forces have massed on the outskirts, is asking both sides to withdraw from the city.

His proposal envisions an interim entity being formed to run the city and port and international monitors being deployed.

Both sides have agreed to a UN role in the port, the entry point for most of Yemen's commercial imports and vital aid, but differ on who should run the city. The Houthis want Hodeidah declared a neutral zone, while Hadi's government believes the city should fall under its control as a matter of sovereignty.

"The devil is in the details - withdraw how far (from Hodeidah), the sequence, who governs and delivers services," said one diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The sides have also yet to agree on a transitional governing body, although a deal was struck on a prisoner swap that could see 15,000 prisoners freed.

A small group of Yemenis demonstrated outside the talks venue in Rimbo, north of Stockholm, waving the flags of former South Yemen in support of a separatist movement that is fighting alongside the coalition while trying to undermine Hadi's government.

Yemen's warring parties agreed on Wednesday to reopen Sanaa airport in the Houthi-held capital and resume oil and gas exports, sources said, as Western nations pressed them to accept confidence-building steps before the end of UN-led peace talks in Sweden.

Yemen's warring parties agreed on Wednesday to reopen Sanaa airport in the Houthi-held capital and resume oil and gas exports, sources said, as Western nations pressed them to accept confidence-building steps before the end of UN-led peace talks in Sweden. The Iranian-aligned Houthi movement and the Saudi-backed government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi were still discussing a United Nations proposal on the contested port city of Hodeidah, a lifeline for millions of Yemenis facing starvation. Hadi's premier, Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, told reporters in the government's base in the southern port of Aden that there might not be enough time for full agreement on Hodeidah as the talks, the first in over two years, conclude on Thursday. "We talked about (it) a lot but with the limited time we have, we can’t talk about all the points in this round. The important thing is to build confidence and then go into the details of the Hodeidah file," he said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was due to attend the final day of talks to support efforts to launch a political process that would end the nearly four-year-old war. Gueterres called Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss Yemen, Saudi state news agency reported. Another round of talks could be held in early 2019. The Houthis hold most population centres, including Hodeidah and Sanaa from which it ousted Hadi's government in 2014. A UN spokeswoman said both parties had received a "final package" of agreements covering the status of Hodeidah, Sanaa airport. "We hope to receive positive responses," she said. The two parties agreed that international flights would stop at a government-held airport for safety to be carried out before flying in or out of Sanaa, two sources familiar with the talks said. Houthi delegate Abdelmajid Hanash said international flights from and to Sanaa would stop in Aden and the airport in Sayun in the south, but the UN would oversee the safety procedures. The UN declined to comment. As part of confidence-building measures, both sides agreed to resume oil and gas exports to help shore up central bank coffers. Revenues would be used to pay salaries in both government and Houthi-held areas, delegates from both sides told Reuters. The Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in the war in 2015 to restore Hadi's government controls Yemen's air space. The coalition has faced increased scrutiny from Western allies, some of which supply it with arms and intelligence, over the war that has killed tens of thousands of people. Trump gesture US President Donald Trump told Reuters on Tuesday he could abide by legislation to end US support for coalition forces in the war following outrage over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. "I hate to see what's going on in Yemen," Trump said. "But it takes two to tango. I'd want to see Iran pull out of Yemen too." The conflict is seen in the Middle East as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which welcomed peace efforts. Asked about the US Senate deliberations, Saeed said Yemen's stability was important for regional security: "The US cannot overlook what Iran is doing in Yemen." UN envoy Martin Griffiths, trying to avert a full-scale assault on Hodeidah, where coalition forces have massed on the outskirts, is asking both sides to withdraw from the city. His proposal envisions an interim entity being formed to run the city and port and international monitors being deployed. Both sides have agreed to a UN role in the port, the entry point for most of Yemen's commercial imports and vital aid, but differ on who should run the city. The Houthis want Hodeidah declared a neutral zone, while Hadi's government believes the city should fall under its control as a matter of sovereignty. "The devil is in the details - withdraw how far (from Hodeidah), the sequence, who governs and delivers services," said one diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. The sides have also yet to agree on a transitional governing body, although a deal was struck on a prisoner swap that could see 15,000 prisoners freed. A small group of Yemenis demonstrated outside the talks venue in Rimbo, north of Stockholm, waving the flags of former South Yemen in support of a separatist movement that is fighting alongside the coalition while trying to undermine Hadi's government.

Yemen warring parties agree to reopen Sanaa airport, resume oil, gas exports

Yemen's warring parties agreed to a ceasefire in the strategic Houthi-held port city of Hodeidah and to place it under the control of local forces, the United Nations chief said at the close of peace talks in Sweden on Thursday (December 13).

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that a political framework for peace negotiations would be discussed at another round of talks between the Saudi-backed government and the Iranian-aligned Houthis.

He said armed forces of both parties would withdraw from Hodeidah. Coalition troops have massed on the outskirts of the city, the main entrypoint for most of Yemen's commercial imports and vital aid supplies.

The Houthis control most population centres in Yemen including the capital Sanaa, from where they ousted the government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in 2014. The government is currently based in the southern port of Aden.

Coalition leaders Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have come under pressure by Western allies, many of which supply the alliance with arms and intelligence, to end the nearly four-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands of people.

The coalition intervened in the war in 2015 to restore Hadi's government but has been bogged down in a military stalemate for years.

Yemen's warring parties agreed to a ceasefire in the strategic Houthi-held port city of Hodeidah and to place it under the control of local forces, the United Nations chief said at the close of peace talks in Sweden on Thursday (December 13).

Yemen's warring parties agreed to a ceasefire in the strategic Houthi-held port city of Hodeidah and to place it under the control of local forces, the United Nations chief said at the close of peace talks in Sweden on Thursday (December 13). UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that a political framework for peace negotiations would be discussed at another round of talks between the Saudi-backed government and the Iranian-aligned Houthis. He said armed forces of both parties would withdraw from Hodeidah. Coalition troops have massed on the outskirts of the city, the main entrypoint for most of Yemen's commercial imports and vital aid supplies. The Houthis control most population centres in Yemen including the capital Sanaa, from where they ousted the government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in 2014. The government is currently based in the southern port of Aden. Coalition leaders Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have come under pressure by Western allies, many of which supply the alliance with arms and intelligence, to end the nearly four-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands of people. The coalition intervened in the war in 2015 to restore Hadi's government but has been bogged down in a military stalemate for years.

Yemen's warring parties agree to Hodeidah ceasefire at end of peace talks

Yemen's government proposal over Sanaa airport rejected by Houthis

UN-backed peace talks set to begin in Sweden today

A Houthi delegation arrived in Sweden on Tuesday for UN-sponsored Yemen peace talks, the first since 2016, as Western nations press for an end to the war and the United Nations warned of a looming economic disaster.

The nearly four-year-old conflict, which has killed tens of thousands and left millions facing starvation, pits the Iranian-aligned Houthi group against Yemeni forces backed by an Arab coalition loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The Houthi team was escorted from the capital Sanaa, which was seized by the group in 2014, to Sweden by UN special envoy Martin Griffiths. Before boarding a Kuwaiti plane, one delegate praised him for delivering on confidence-building measures like the evacuation of wounded fighters and a prisoner swap deal.

"Griffiths was true to his word ... We are certain he has put in place a general framework for negotiations in order to proceed with the political process," Abdelmeguid Hanash told reporters.&nbsp;

Hadi`s government is expected to follow the Houthis, whose attendance was secured after the evacuation of 50 wounded Houthis for treatment in Oman on Monday. A previous round in September collapsed when the Houthis failed to appear.

The talks will be held in a renovated castle outside Stockholm to discuss further confidence-building steps and a transitional governing body, as the U.S. Senate is set to consider a resolution to end support for the coalition in the war.

Outrage over the October 2 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul has intensified international scrutiny of Saudi activities in the region, potentially giving Western powers, which provide arms and intelligence to the coalition, more leverage to demand action.

Germany, Denmark and Sweden have suspended arms exports to Saudi Arabia over Khashoggi`s killing and the Yemen war. The United States halted refuelling support for coalition warplanes, whose air strikes have been blamed for many civilian deaths.

The Arab alliance intervened in the war in 2015 to restore Hadi`s government, but has bogged down in military stalemate.

Residents in the port of Hodeidah, now a focus of the war, were fearful of renewed fighting if the talks failed as each side fortified their positions in the Houthi-held Red Sea city after a period of reduced hostilities.

"The situation here does not make us optimistic that we will avoid war," said 51-year-old government employee Mohammed Taher.

SEVERE HUNGER

The conflict, seen as a proxy war between Riyadh and Tehran, has left over 8 million Yemenis facing famine although the United Nations has warned this could rise to 14 million. Three-quarters of the population, or 22 million, rely on aid.

World Food Programme chief David Beasley said in Geneva that an upcoming food security report would show an increase in severe hunger rates in Yemen - where a child dies every 11 minutes - but not necessarily meet the criteria of famine.&nbsp;

UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said Yemen`s government will need billions of dollars in external support to fund core state functions, its 2019 budget and to avoid another currency collapse, in addition to $4 billion in aid.

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Tuesday that the Sweden talks are a "critical opportunity".

"A sustainable Yemeni-led political solution offers the best chance to ending the current crisis. A stable state, important for the region, cannot coexist with unlawful militias."

The talks, which will focus on reopening Sanaa airport, implementing a prisoner swap and securing a truce in Hodeidah, the entry point for most of Yemen`s commercial goods and aid.

This would serve as a foundation for a wider ceasefire that would halt coalition air strikes and Houthi missile attacks on Saudi cities.

The last available UN figure for the civilian death toll was in 2016 and stood at more than 10,000. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, which tracks violence in Yemen, puts it at around 57,000 people.

A Houthi delegation arrived in Sweden on Tuesday for UN-sponsored Yemen peace talks, the first since 2016, as Western nations press for an end to the war and the United Nations warned of a looming economic disaster.

A Houthi delegation arrived in Sweden on Tuesday for UN-sponsored Yemen peace talks, the first since 2016, as Western nations press for an end to the war and the United Nations warned of a looming economic disaster. The nearly four-year-old conflict, which has killed tens of thousands and left millions facing starvation, pits the Iranian-aligned Houthi group against Yemeni forces backed by an Arab coalition loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Houthi team was escorted from the capital Sanaa, which was seized by the group in 2014, to Sweden by UN special envoy Martin Griffiths. Before boarding a Kuwaiti plane, one delegate praised him for delivering on confidence-building measures like the evacuation of wounded fighters and a prisoner swap deal. "Griffiths was true to his word ... We are certain he has put in place a general framework for negotiations in order to proceed with the political process," Abdelmeguid Hanash told reporters. Hadi`s government is expected to follow the Houthis, whose attendance was secured after the evacuation of 50 wounded Houthis for treatment in Oman on Monday. A previous round in September collapsed when the Houthis failed to appear. The talks will be held in a renovated castle outside Stockholm to discuss further confidence-building steps and a transitional governing body, as the U.S. Senate is set to consider a resolution to end support for the coalition in the war. Outrage over the October 2 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul has intensified international scrutiny of Saudi activities in the region, potentially giving Western powers, which provide arms and intelligence to the coalition, more leverage to demand action. Germany, Denmark and Sweden have suspended arms exports to Saudi Arabia over Khashoggi`s killing and the Yemen war. The United States halted refuelling support for coalition warplanes, whose air strikes have been blamed for many civilian deaths. The Arab alliance intervened in the war in 2015 to restore Hadi`s government, but has bogged down in military stalemate. Residents in the port of Hodeidah, now a focus of the war, were fearful of renewed fighting if the talks failed as each side fortified their positions in the Houthi-held Red Sea city after a period of reduced hostilities. "The situation here does not make us optimistic that we will avoid war," said 51-year-old government employee Mohammed Taher. SEVERE HUNGER The conflict, seen as a proxy war between Riyadh and Tehran, has left over 8 million Yemenis facing famine although the United Nations has warned this could rise to 14 million. Three-quarters of the population, or 22 million, rely on aid. World Food Programme chief David Beasley said in Geneva that an upcoming food security report would show an increase in severe hunger rates in Yemen - where a child dies every 11 minutes - but not necessarily meet the criteria of famine. UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said Yemen`s government will need billions of dollars in external support to fund core state functions, its 2019 budget and to avoid another currency collapse, in addition to $4 billion in aid. UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Tuesday that the Sweden talks are a "critical opportunity". "A sustainable Yemeni-led political solution offers the best chance to ending the current crisis. A stable state, important for the region, cannot coexist with unlawful militias." The talks, which will focus on reopening Sanaa airport, implementing a prisoner swap and securing a truce in Hodeidah, the entry point for most of Yemen`s commercial goods and aid. This would serve as a foundation for a wider ceasefire that would halt coalition air strikes and Houthi missile attacks on Saudi cities. The last available UN figure for the civilian death toll was in 2016 and stood at more than 10,000. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, which tracks violence in Yemen, puts it at around 57,000 people.

Yemen's Houthis in Sweden for peace talks; UN warns of economic breakdown

UN aid chief Mark Lowcock warned Saturday that Yemen was "on the brink of a major catastrophe", as the world body pushes for<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/yemen-peace-talks-set-for-early-december-in-sweden-us-178808"> peace talks</a> in the impoverished and war-wracked country.

His comments came after renewed deadly clashes between Huthi rebels and pro-government forces in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida, vital for the flow of humanitarian aid.

"Yemen is on the brink of a major catastrophe," Lowcock said, as he wrapped up a visit to the country.

He said conditions had deteriorated alarmingly since his last visit in October 2017 to Yemen, which the United Nations has termed the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

"In Aden, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-warns-of-danger-of-widespread-famine-in-yemen-173103">I met emaciated children so malnourished they could barely open their eyes</a>," Lowcock said in a statement.

"Humanitarian assistance helps many of these children recover. But I also heard heartbreaking stories of children relapsing again and again because their families simply can't afford food or proper medical care," he said.

Lowcock reiterated the UN's readiness to play a role to ensure that the rebel-held Hodeida port, a key entry point for imports and aid, can remain open.

Under heavy international pressure, Saudi-backed pro-government forces have largely suspended an offensive launched in June to take the port city.

Sporadic clashes have however continued since a fragile truce began on November 13.

Peace talks face 'setbacks'&nbsp;

Fighting on Friday in the east and south of Hodeida left 10 fighters dead, an official and medical sources told AFP on Saturday.

Medical sources confirmed the bodies of eight rebels had been transferred to hospitals, and that two fighters with pro-government forces were also killed.

Intermittent clashes continued on Saturday, Hodeida residents told AFP by phone.

Saudi Arabia accused the Huthis of launching a "military projectile" across the border Friday, saying it hit a house and injured two people in the kingdom, the official SPA news agency reported.

The violence follows a visit to Hodeida last month by UN envoy Martin Griffiths to press for talks.

The proposed peace talks have been backed by both the rebels and the Saudi-led government and were expected to take place in Sweden next week.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, however, has played down the early December schedule and said he hoped talks would start "this year".

"But, as you know, there have been some setbacks," he said on Thursday.

Previous talks planned for September in Geneva failed to get underway as the Huthi delegation never left Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa, arguing that the United Nations could not guarantee their safe return.

Lowcock said it was "not too late" to pull back Yemen from the brink but warned that more resources were needed.

"Yemen is the world’s largest humanitarian operation, but in 2019 it will need to be substantially bigger," he said.

Donors this year have provided $2.3 billion for the 2018 response plan, or about 80 per cent of requirements, he added.

According to UN figures, nearly 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led coalition joined the conflict in 2015 to bolster the government against<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/yemens-houthi-group-says-fires-missile-toward-abu-dhabi-nuclear-reactor-25754"> Huthi rebels</a>.

UN agencies say that 14 million people are at risk of starvation in Yemen.&nbsp;

UN aid chief Mark Lowcock warned Saturday that Yemen was "on the brink of a major catastrophe", as the world body pushes for peace talks in the impoverished and war-wracked country.

UN aid chief Mark Lowcock warned Saturday that Yemen was "on the brink of a major catastrophe", as the world body pushes for peace talks in the impoverished and war-wracked country. His comments came after renewed deadly clashes between Huthi rebels and pro-government forces in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida, vital for the flow of humanitarian aid. "Yemen is on the brink of a major catastrophe," Lowcock said, as he wrapped up a visit to the country. He said conditions had deteriorated alarmingly since his last visit in October 2017 to Yemen, which the United Nations has termed the world's worst humanitarian crisis. "In Aden, I met emaciated children so malnourished they could barely open their eyes," Lowcock said in a statement. "Humanitarian assistance helps many of these children recover. But I also heard heartbreaking stories of children relapsing again and again because their families simply can't afford food or proper medical care," he said. Lowcock reiterated the UN's readiness to play a role to ensure that the rebel-held Hodeida port, a key entry point for imports and aid, can remain open. Under heavy international pressure, Saudi-backed pro-government forces have largely suspended an offensive launched in June to take the port city. Sporadic clashes have however continued since a fragile truce began on November 13. Peace talks face 'setbacks' Fighting on Friday in the east and south of Hodeida left 10 fighters dead, an official and medical sources told AFP on Saturday. Medical sources confirmed the bodies of eight rebels had been transferred to hospitals, and that two fighters with pro-government forces were also killed. Intermittent clashes continued on Saturday, Hodeida residents told AFP by phone. Saudi Arabia accused the Huthis of launching a "military projectile" across the border Friday, saying it hit a house and injured two people in the kingdom, the official SPA news agency reported. The violence follows a visit to Hodeida last month by UN envoy Martin Griffiths to press for talks. The proposed peace talks have been backed by both the rebels and the Saudi-led government and were expected to take place in Sweden next week. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, however, has played down the early December schedule and said he hoped talks would start "this year". "But, as you know, there have been some setbacks," he said on Thursday. Previous talks planned for September in Geneva failed to get underway as the Huthi delegation never left Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa, arguing that the United Nations could not guarantee their safe return. Lowcock said it was "not too late" to pull back Yemen from the brink but warned that more resources were needed. "Yemen is the world’s largest humanitarian operation, but in 2019 it will need to be substantially bigger," he said. Donors this year have provided $2.3 billion for the 2018 response plan, or about 80 per cent of requirements, he added. According to UN figures, nearly 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led coalition joined the conflict in 2015 to bolster the government against Huthi rebels. UN agencies say that 14 million people are at risk of starvation in Yemen.

Yemen on the brink of a major catastrophe: UN aid chief Mark Lowcock

U.S. displays new evidence of Iranian weaponry in Yemen, Afghanistan

The United States on Thursday displayed pieces of what it said were Iranian weapons deployed to militants in Yemen and Afghanistan, a tactic by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-g20-meeting-with-xi-trump-says-billions-of-dollar-pouring-into-us-due-to-tariffs-on-china-180279">President Donald Trump</a>'s administration to pressure Tehran to curb its regional activities.

The second presentation of Iranian weapons by the Pentagon, many of which were handed over by Saudi Arabia, coincides with growing concern in Congress over US military support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen's civil war, which has led to a deep humanitarian crisis.

Members of Congress have escalated their opposition to Saudi Arabia after the October 2 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in its Istanbul consulate. Despite administration pleas to stick with the Saudis and thereby counter Iran, the Senate voted on Wednesday to advance a resolution to end military support for the Saudis in Yemen.

If Iran were found to be shipping arms to Yemen, Afghanistan and other countries, it would be in violation of United Nations resolutions.

Reuters was given advanced access to the military hangar at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling just outside of Washington where the US Defense Department put the fragments of weaponry on display and explained how it concluded that they came from Iran.

"We want there to be no doubt across the world that this is a priority for the United States and that it's in international interest to address it," said Katie Wheelbarger, the principal deputy assistant secretary of defence for international security affairs.

The presentation, the second such one in the last year, is part of a government-wide effort to follow through on Trump's policy to take a far harder line toward Tehran. He pulled the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions, in part for its "malign" regional activities.

Iran has denied supplying the Houthis in Yemen with such weaponry and described the Pentagon's previous arms display as "fabricated."

WEAPONS TO YEMEN

The Pentagon offered a detailed explanation of why it believed the arms on display came from Iran, noting what it said were Iranian corporate logos on arms fragments and the unique nature of the designs of Iranian weaponry.

The United States acknowledged it could not say precisely when the weapons were transferred to the Houthis, and, in some cases, could not say when they were used. There was no immediate way to independently verify where the weapons were made or employed.

This included a "Sayyad-2" surface to air missile (SAM), which the Pentagon said had been interdicted by the Saudi government in early 2018 en route to Houthi militants in Yemen.

The Pentagon cited a corporate logo of an Iranian defence firm in the warhead section, which was not displayed, and writing in Farsi along the missile as evidence that it was Iranian.

A US defence official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the Pentagon did not know if the Houthis had actually used this type of missile before.

The Houthis, who control Yemen’s capital Sanaa, have fired dozens of missiles into Saudi Arabia in recent months, part of a three-year-old conflict widely seen as a proxy battle between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Under a UN resolution that enshrines the Iran nuclear deal with world powers, Tehran is prohibited from supplying, selling or transferring weapons outside the country unless approved by the UN Security Council. A separate UN resolution on Yemen bans the supply of weapons to Houthi leaders.

WAR IN AFGHANISTAN

The United States has long accused Iran of providing weapons to Taliban militants in Afghanistan. In October, Washington targeted two individuals linked to the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards for providing material and financial support to the Taliban.

The Pentagon displayed a number of "Fadjr" rockets, that it said had been provided to the Taliban. It said they were Iranian because of the unique markings on the rockets and the paint scheme, along with the markings on them.

The Taliban is known to buy weapons on the black market and defence officials could not say why they were sure these missiles had not been simply bought by the Taliban.

The United States on Thursday displayed pieces of what it said were Iranian weapons deployed to militants in Yemen and Afghanistan, a tactic by President Donald Trump's administration to pressure Tehran to curb its regional activities.

The United States on Thursday displayed pieces of what it said were Iranian weapons deployed to militants in Yemen and Afghanistan, a tactic by President Donald Trump's administration to pressure Tehran to curb its regional activities. The second presentation of Iranian weapons by the Pentagon, many of which were handed over by Saudi Arabia, coincides with growing concern in Congress over US military support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen's civil war, which has led to a deep humanitarian crisis. Members of Congress have escalated their opposition to Saudi Arabia after the October 2 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in its Istanbul consulate. Despite administration pleas to stick with the Saudis and thereby counter Iran, the Senate voted on Wednesday to advance a resolution to end military support for the Saudis in Yemen. If Iran were found to be shipping arms to Yemen, Afghanistan and other countries, it would be in violation of United Nations resolutions. Reuters was given advanced access to the military hangar at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling just outside of Washington where the US Defense Department put the fragments of weaponry on display and explained how it concluded that they came from Iran. "We want there to be no doubt across the world that this is a priority for the United States and that it's in international interest to address it," said Katie Wheelbarger, the principal deputy assistant secretary of defence for international security affairs. The presentation, the second such one in the last year, is part of a government-wide effort to follow through on Trump's policy to take a far harder line toward Tehran. He pulled the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions, in part for its "malign" regional activities. Iran has denied supplying the Houthis in Yemen with such weaponry and described the Pentagon's previous arms display as "fabricated." WEAPONS TO YEMEN The Pentagon offered a detailed explanation of why it believed the arms on display came from Iran, noting what it said were Iranian corporate logos on arms fragments and the unique nature of the designs of Iranian weaponry. The United States acknowledged it could not say precisely when the weapons were transferred to the Houthis, and, in some cases, could not say when they were used. There was no immediate way to independently verify where the weapons were made or employed. This included a "Sayyad-2" surface to air missile (SAM), which the Pentagon said had been interdicted by the Saudi government in early 2018 en route to Houthi militants in Yemen. The Pentagon cited a corporate logo of an Iranian defence firm in the warhead section, which was not displayed, and writing in Farsi along the missile as evidence that it was Iranian. A US defence official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the Pentagon did not know if the Houthis had actually used this type of missile before. The Houthis, who control Yemen’s capital Sanaa, have fired dozens of missiles into Saudi Arabia in recent months, part of a three-year-old conflict widely seen as a proxy battle between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Under a UN resolution that enshrines the Iran nuclear deal with world powers, Tehran is prohibited from supplying, selling or transferring weapons outside the country unless approved by the UN Security Council. A separate UN resolution on Yemen bans the supply of weapons to Houthi leaders. WAR IN AFGHANISTAN The United States has long accused Iran of providing weapons to Taliban militants in Afghanistan. In October, Washington targeted two individuals linked to the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards for providing material and financial support to the Taliban. The Pentagon displayed a number of "Fadjr" rockets, that it said had been provided to the Taliban. It said they were Iranian because of the unique markings on the rockets and the paint scheme, along with the markings on them. The Taliban is known to buy weapons on the black market and defence officials could not say why they were sure these missiles had not been simply bought by the Taliban.

US touts new evidence of Iranian weaponry in Yemen, Afghanistan

By Jeff Bachman

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.”

Guterres put the crisis in stark perspective, emphasizing 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, to be published in an upcoming issue of 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&nbsp;assertions that the Houthis are controlled by Shiite Iran, a claim that has not gone uncontested. Both the Saudis and the US&nbsp;are hostile to Iran, so US&nbsp;support of Saudia Arabia in Yemen represents what US&nbsp;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 (YDP), 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, YDP reports that two-thirds of the coalition’s bombing attacks have been against non-military 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&nbsp;it plays in the 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 UN 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 OHCHR 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 US 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 mid-air 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&nbsp;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.

In an ideal world, one in which all states are equally subjects before international law, the US 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&nbsp;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&nbsp;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/us-complicity-in-the-saudi-led-genocide-in-yemen-spans-obama-trump-administrations-106896">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

By Jeff Bachman 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.

By Jeff Bachman 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.” Guterres put the crisis in stark perspective, emphasizing 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, to be published in an upcoming issue of 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 (YDP), 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, YDP reports that two-thirds of the coalition’s bombing attacks have been against non-military 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 the 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 UN 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 OHCHR 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 US 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 mid-air 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. In an ideal world, one in which all states are equally subjects before international law, the US 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)

US complicity in the Saudi-led genocide in Yemen spans Obama, Trump administrations

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - November 24th 2018

The United Nations said on Friday (November 23) it was ready to help supervise Yemen's vital Hodeidah port to protect it from "potential destruction", as its envoy met managers of the Houthi-held harbour.

Western countries are pressing for a ceasefire and renewed peace efforts to end the country's three-year-old conflict amid fears that half the population, some 14 million people, could soon be on the brink of famine.

UN&nbsp;envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths said that having such a role would "preserve the essential humanitarian pipeline which starts here and serves the people of Yemen."

Griffiths arrived in Hodeidah, the latest focus of the war between the Houthi group, which controls the city, and pro-government forces backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The port is an important supply line to the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, located in mountains to the northeast of Hodeidah, and to much of the country.

Griffiths told the UN&nbsp;Security Council last week that Yemen's warring sides had given "firm assurances" they were committed to attending peace talks he hopes to convene in Sweden in December.

The United Nations said on Friday (November 23) it was ready to help supervise Yemen's vital Hodeidah port to protect it from "potential destruction", as its envoy met managers of the Houthi-held harbour.

The United Nations said on Friday (November 23) it was ready to help supervise Yemen's vital Hodeidah port to protect it from "potential destruction", as its envoy met managers of the Houthi-held harbour. Western countries are pressing for a ceasefire and renewed peace efforts to end the country's three-year-old conflict amid fears that half the population, some 14 million people, could soon be on the brink of famine. UN envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths said that having such a role would "preserve the essential humanitarian pipeline which starts here and serves the people of Yemen." Griffiths arrived in Hodeidah, the latest focus of the war between the Houthi group, which controls the city, and pro-government forces backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The port is an important supply line to the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, located in mountains to the northeast of Hodeidah, and to much of the country. Griffiths told the UN Security Council last week that Yemen's warring sides had given "firm assurances" they were committed to attending peace talks he hopes to convene in Sweden in December.

UN ready to help run vital Yemen port in danger of destruction

UN envoy Martin Griffiths met with Yemeni rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi Thursday to discuss logistics ahead of planned peace talks in Sweden in December, a rebel spokesman said.

The two men addressed "what can facilitate new discussions in December and procedures needed to transport injured and sick for treatment abroad and bring them back", Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdelsalam said on Twitter.

The rebel chief urged the UN to remain "balanced and neutral in its work to find a political solution", Abdelsalam added.

The conflict in Yemen, which escalated when the Saudi-led alliance intervened in 2015, has killed thousands and sparked what the UN has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Nearly 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict since then, according to the World Health Organization, though some rights groups estimate the toll could be five times higher.

Peace talks aimed at ending the war in Yemen have been set for early December in Sweden, between Huthi rebels and the UN-recognized government, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday.

Mattis last month made a surprise call for a ceasefire in Yemen and urged warring parties to enter negotiations within the next 30 days.

The United Nations has now pushed that deadline back to the end of the year.

US Defence Secretary's comments came&nbsp;a day after US President Donald Trump vowed to stick with Saudi Arabia as an ally despite the gruesome murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul October 2.

(With inputs from agencies)

UN envoy Martin Griffiths met with Yemeni rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi Thursday to discuss logistics ahead of planned peace talks in Sweden in December, a rebel spokesman said.

UN envoy Martin Griffiths met with Yemeni rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi Thursday to discuss logistics ahead of planned peace talks in Sweden in December, a rebel spokesman said. The two men addressed "what can facilitate new discussions in December and procedures needed to transport injured and sick for treatment abroad and bring them back", Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdelsalam said on Twitter. The rebel chief urged the UN to remain "balanced and neutral in its work to find a political solution", Abdelsalam added. The conflict in Yemen, which escalated when the Saudi-led alliance intervened in 2015, has killed thousands and sparked what the UN has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict since then, according to the World Health Organization, though some rights groups estimate the toll could be five times higher. Peace talks aimed at ending the war in Yemen have been set for early December in Sweden, between Huthi rebels and the UN-recognized government, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday. Mattis last month made a surprise call for a ceasefire in Yemen and urged warring parties to enter negotiations within the next 30 days. The United Nations has now pushed that deadline back to the end of the year. US Defence Secretary's comments came a day after US President Donald Trump vowed to stick with Saudi Arabia as an ally despite the gruesome murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul October 2. (With inputs from agencies)

UN envoy, Yemen rebel chief meet ahead of peace talks: Rebels

Peace talks aimed at ending the war in Yemen have been set for early December in Sweden, between Huthi rebels and the UN-recognized government, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday.

He said the Saudis and United Arab Emirates -- who have militarily backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in the brutal three-year-old war -- "are fully on board, by the way."

"It looks like that very, very early in December, up in Sweden, we'll see both the Huthi rebel side and the UN-recognized government, President Hadi's government, will be up there."

Mattis last month made a surprise call for a ceasefire in Yemen and urged warring parties to enter negotiations within the next 30 days.

The United Nations has now pushed that deadline back to the end of the year.

Mattis' latest comments came as the US State Department said talks must not be delayed any longer, and UN envoy Martin Griffiths was in Sanaa for talks with rebel leaders to push them to join the peace talks in Sweden.

Griffiths is spearheading the biggest push in two years to end the war, which has sparked what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

It also comes a day after US President Donald Trump vowed to stick with Saudi Arabia as an ally despite the gruesome murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul October 2.

The CIA has reportedly concluded that the murder was ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but Trump chose to overlook that in favor of the larger relationship with the kingdom.

"On the Khashoggi affair, presidents don't often get the freedom to work with unblemished partners in all things," Mattis said.

"If you want to end the war you're going to deal with Saudi. You can't say I'm not going to deal with them," he said.

US weapons

Washington has been providing bombs and other weapons, as well as intelligence support, to the Saudi-led coalition backing Hadi, but recently ended its refueling support for Saudi warplanes.

The Huthis failed to show up to peace talks in Switzerland in September, leading to the collapse of that effort to end the fighting.

The Huthis have said repeatedly that they need stronger security guarantees from the international community that they will be given safe passage through the crippling air and sea blockade the coalition has enforced since March 2015.

UN agencies say up to 14 million Yemenis are at risk of starvation if fighting closes the port of Hodeida, a gateway for humanitarian aid.

"All parties must not delay talks any longer, or insist on travel or transport conditions that call into question good faith intentions to look for a solution or to make necessary concessions," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

"The time for direct talks and building mutual confidence is now."

Nauert said the US welcomes the coalition's Tuesday announcement of $500 million to address Yemen's food security crisis.

"In addition to this, Hodeida port must be turned over to a neutral party to accelerate the distribution of aid to address the acute humanitarian crisis, and to prevent the port from being used to smuggle weapons and contraband into the country or to finance the Huthi militia," Nauert said. &nbsp;

"It is time to end this conflict, replace conflict with compromise, and allow the Yemeni people to heal through peace and reconstruction."

Years of United Nations-backed peace efforts have failed to end Yemen's fighting, which has killed nearly 10,000 people -- mostly civilians -- since the Saudi-led coalition intervened.

Peace talks aimed at ending the war in Yemen have been set for early December in Sweden, between Huthi rebels and the UN-recognized government, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday.

Peace talks aimed at ending the war in Yemen have been set for early December in Sweden, between Huthi rebels and the UN-recognized government, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday. He said the Saudis and United Arab Emirates -- who have militarily backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in the brutal three-year-old war -- "are fully on board, by the way." "It looks like that very, very early in December, up in Sweden, we'll see both the Huthi rebel side and the UN-recognized government, President Hadi's government, will be up there." Mattis last month made a surprise call for a ceasefire in Yemen and urged warring parties to enter negotiations within the next 30 days. The United Nations has now pushed that deadline back to the end of the year. Mattis' latest comments came as the US State Department said talks must not be delayed any longer, and UN envoy Martin Griffiths was in Sanaa for talks with rebel leaders to push them to join the peace talks in Sweden. Griffiths is spearheading the biggest push in two years to end the war, which has sparked what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. It also comes a day after US President Donald Trump vowed to stick with Saudi Arabia as an ally despite the gruesome murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul October 2. The CIA has reportedly concluded that the murder was ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but Trump chose to overlook that in favor of the larger relationship with the kingdom. "On the Khashoggi affair, presidents don't often get the freedom to work with unblemished partners in all things," Mattis said. "If you want to end the war you're going to deal with Saudi. You can't say I'm not going to deal with them," he said. US weapons Washington has been providing bombs and other weapons, as well as intelligence support, to the Saudi-led coalition backing Hadi, but recently ended its refueling support for Saudi warplanes. The Huthis failed to show up to peace talks in Switzerland in September, leading to the collapse of that effort to end the fighting. The Huthis have said repeatedly that they need stronger security guarantees from the international community that they will be given safe passage through the crippling air and sea blockade the coalition has enforced since March 2015. UN agencies say up to 14 million Yemenis are at risk of starvation if fighting closes the port of Hodeida, a gateway for humanitarian aid. "All parties must not delay talks any longer, or insist on travel or transport conditions that call into question good faith intentions to look for a solution or to make necessary concessions," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. "The time for direct talks and building mutual confidence is now." Nauert said the US welcomes the coalition's Tuesday announcement of $500 million to address Yemen's food security crisis. "In addition to this, Hodeida port must be turned over to a neutral party to accelerate the distribution of aid to address the acute humanitarian crisis, and to prevent the port from being used to smuggle weapons and contraband into the country or to finance the Huthi militia," Nauert said. "It is time to end this conflict, replace conflict with compromise, and allow the Yemeni people to heal through peace and reconstruction." Years of United Nations-backed peace efforts have failed to end Yemen's fighting, which has killed nearly 10,000 people -- mostly civilians -- since the Saudi-led coalition intervened.

Yemen peace talks set for early December in Sweden: US

The United Nations envoy to Yemen will visit the rebel-held battleground port city of Hodeida this week, a UN source said Thursday, as he presses warring parties to uphold pledges to join peace talks.

Martin Griffiths, who arrived in the rebel-held capital Sanaa on Wednesday, was in the Arabian Peninsula country to lay the groundwork for next month's negotiations in Sweden.

The British diplomat's visit to Hodeida on Friday was aimed at encouraging Iran-aligned Huthi rebels and government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition to stay calm ahead of the talks in Stockholm, the UN source said.

The conflict in Yemen, which escalated when the Saudi-led alliance intervened in 2015, has killed thousands and sparked what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

UN agencies say up to 14 million Yemenis would be at risk of starvation if fighting closes the port of Hodeida, through which nearly all of the country's imports and humanitarian aid pass.

Both sides have in the past week expressed support for the envoy and his mission to hold discussions, but military officials have said that intermittent clashes continued to erupt in the Red Sea city of Hodeida.

Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, head of the rebels' Higher Revolutionary Committee and an influential political figure, said the rebels were ready for peace.

"We support peace. We are ready for peace if that is what they (the Saudi-led coalition) want," he told reporters after meeting Griffiths on Thursday.

"I do not think anyone can doubt our desire for peace," he said, adding the envoy would hold talks with rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi before heading to Hodeida.

'Fully on board'

United States Defence Secretary Jim Mattis confirmed on Wednesday peace discussions between the Huthis and the internationally-recognised government would take place early December.

He said Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates -- which is also a key member of the military coalition supporting the loyalists -- were "fully on board".

"It looks like that very, very early in December, up in Sweden, we'll see both the Huthi rebel side and the UN-recognised government, President (Abedrabbo Mansour) Hadi's government, will be up there."

Mattis last month made a surprise call for a ceasefire in Yemen and urged warring parties to enter negotiations within the next 30 days.

The UN has now pushed that deadline back to the end of the year.

Mattis' latest comments came as the US State Department said talks must not be delayed any longer.

The United States has been providing bombs and other weapons, as well as intelligence support, to the Saudi-led coalition backing Hadi, but recently ended its refuelling support for Saudi warplanes.

On Monday, Britain presented to the UN Security Council a draft resolution urging an immediate truce in Hodeida.

The draft, circulated by Britain to the 14 other council members, and seen by AFP, sets a two-week deadline for the warring sides to remove all barriers to humanitarian aid.

The proposed resolution would significantly ratchet up pressure on the Saudi-led coalition and the Huthis to seek a negotiated settlement in Yemen, where millions are on the brink of starvation.

It also calls for a large injection of foreign cash to support Yemen's collapsing currency and for salaries of civil servants, teachers, and health workers to be paid within a month.

UN peace efforts

Griffiths -- whose efforts at kickstarting peace talks in September collapsed -- is spearheading the biggest push in two years to end the war.

In September, a previous round of UN-led peace talks faltered when the Huthis refused to travel to Geneva, accusing the world body of failing to guarantee their delegation's return to Sanaa or secure the evacuation of wounded rebels to Oman.

Previous talks broke down in 2016, when 108 days of negotiations in Kuwait failed to yield a deal and left rebel delegates stranded in Oman for three months.

A UN panel of experts has accused both the Huthis and the Saudi-led coalition of acts that could amount to war crimes.

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict, though some rights groups estimate the toll could be five times higher.

The World Food Programme says up to 14 million Yemenis are at risk of starvation, and 18-19 million are "food insecure".

The United Nations envoy to Yemen will visit the rebel-held battleground port city of Hodeida this week, a UN source said Thursday, as he presses warring parties to uphold pledges to join peace talks.

The United Nations envoy to Yemen will visit the rebel-held battleground port city of Hodeida this week, a UN source said Thursday, as he presses warring parties to uphold pledges to join peace talks. Martin Griffiths, who arrived in the rebel-held capital Sanaa on Wednesday, was in the Arabian Peninsula country to lay the groundwork for next month's negotiations in Sweden. The British diplomat's visit to Hodeida on Friday was aimed at encouraging Iran-aligned Huthi rebels and government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition to stay calm ahead of the talks in Stockholm, the UN source said. The conflict in Yemen, which escalated when the Saudi-led alliance intervened in 2015, has killed thousands and sparked what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. UN agencies say up to 14 million Yemenis would be at risk of starvation if fighting closes the port of Hodeida, through which nearly all of the country's imports and humanitarian aid pass. Both sides have in the past week expressed support for the envoy and his mission to hold discussions, but military officials have said that intermittent clashes continued to erupt in the Red Sea city of Hodeida. Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, head of the rebels' Higher Revolutionary Committee and an influential political figure, said the rebels were ready for peace. "We support peace. We are ready for peace if that is what they (the Saudi-led coalition) want," he told reporters after meeting Griffiths on Thursday. "I do not think anyone can doubt our desire for peace," he said, adding the envoy would hold talks with rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi before heading to Hodeida. 'Fully on board' United States Defence Secretary Jim Mattis confirmed on Wednesday peace discussions between the Huthis and the internationally-recognised government would take place early December. He said Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates -- which is also a key member of the military coalition supporting the loyalists -- were "fully on board". "It looks like that very, very early in December, up in Sweden, we'll see both the Huthi rebel side and the UN-recognised government, President (Abedrabbo Mansour) Hadi's government, will be up there." Mattis last month made a surprise call for a ceasefire in Yemen and urged warring parties to enter negotiations within the next 30 days. The UN has now pushed that deadline back to the end of the year. Mattis' latest comments came as the US State Department said talks must not be delayed any longer. The United States has been providing bombs and other weapons, as well as intelligence support, to the Saudi-led coalition backing Hadi, but recently ended its refuelling support for Saudi warplanes. On Monday, Britain presented to the UN Security Council a draft resolution urging an immediate truce in Hodeida. The draft, circulated by Britain to the 14 other council members, and seen by AFP, sets a two-week deadline for the warring sides to remove all barriers to humanitarian aid. The proposed resolution would significantly ratchet up pressure on the Saudi-led coalition and the Huthis to seek a negotiated settlement in Yemen, where millions are on the brink of starvation. It also calls for a large injection of foreign cash to support Yemen's collapsing currency and for salaries of civil servants, teachers, and health workers to be paid within a month. UN peace efforts Griffiths -- whose efforts at kickstarting peace talks in September collapsed -- is spearheading the biggest push in two years to end the war. In September, a previous round of UN-led peace talks faltered when the Huthis refused to travel to Geneva, accusing the world body of failing to guarantee their delegation's return to Sanaa or secure the evacuation of wounded rebels to Oman. Previous talks broke down in 2016, when 108 days of negotiations in Kuwait failed to yield a deal and left rebel delegates stranded in Oman for three months. A UN panel of experts has accused both the Huthis and the Saudi-led coalition of acts that could amount to war crimes. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict, though some rights groups estimate the toll could be five times higher. The World Food Programme says up to 14 million Yemenis are at risk of starvation, and 18-19 million are "food insecure".

UN Yemen envoy to visit battleground port ahead of peace talks

An estimated 85,000 children under five may have died from extreme hunger in Yemen since <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-probe-reports-possible-war-crimes-by-all-sides-in-yemen-conflict-162092">a Saudi-led coalition intervened in the civil war in 2015</a>, an aid agency said on Wednesday, as the UN special envoy arrived in Yemen to pursue peace talks.

Western countries are pressing for a ceasefire and renewed peace efforts to end the disastrous conflict, which has unleashed the world’s most urgent humanitarian crisis with 8.4 million people believed to be on the verge of starvation.

Save the Children said that a conservative estimate based on UN data showed 84,700 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition may have died between April 2015 and October 2018, when a Western-backed Arab alliance has been battling the Iran-aligned Houthi movement that holds the capital Sanaa.

"We are horrified that some 85,000 children in Yemen may have died because of the consequences of extreme hunger since the war began. For every child killed by bombs and bullets, dozens are dying from hunger and disease and it's entirely preventable," it said in a statement.

The last available figure from the United Nations for the death toll from the conflict, seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, was in 2016 and stood at more than 10,000.

The world body has not provided figures for the death toll from malnutrition but warned last month that half the population, or some 14 million people, could soon be on the brink of famine and completely reliant on humanitarian aid.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it had no fatality figures but both malnutrition and fighting were taking a heavy toll on civilians.

"What we see in all the different (health) centres and places that we are working in, it's a very catastrophic humanitarian situation, but not only malnutrition," Carlos Batallas, outgoing head of the ICRC delegation in Aden, told Reuters in Geneva.

"One of the problems that we are seeing today is that vaccination has not been followed through, that you have pregnant women that have no pre-natal care, women that cannot deliver kids at hospitals or a health centre with nurses."

The Armed Conflict Location &amp; Event Data Project (ACLED), a database that tracks violence in Yemen, says around 57,000 people have been reported killed since the beginning of 2016.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to restore the government that was ousted from Sanaa in 2014 by the Houthis, who control most population centres.

Since seizing the southern port city of Aden in 2015, the Arab coalition has faced a military stalemate and has been focusing on wresting control of the main port city of Hodeidah to weaken the Houthis by cutting off their main supply line.

NO CEASEFIRE YET

So far there has been no halt to fighting in Hodeidah, despite an announcement by the coalition last week that it would stop military operations there. A few days later the Houthis announced a halt to missile and drone attacks on coalition leaders Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and their Yemeni allies.

Intense fighting in the past two days has taken place in Hodeidah mostly at night, as each side tried to reinforce its positions during the de-escalation in hostilities.

"Loud bangs, shelling and gunfire could be heard all over the city until dawn," a Hodeidah resident said on Wednesday.

The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said fighting was moving closer to a hospital where its staff operate.

"Our staff can hear explosions and shootings occurring extremely close by every day around Al-Salakhana hospital," its operations manager for Yemen said in a statement.

A pro-coalition Yemeni military source told Reuters on Monday that a ceasefire in Hodeidah would start only after the UN Security Council passes a British-drafted resolution on Yemen. Aid groups fear an all-out assault on the city, entry point for more than 80 per cent of Yemen's food imports, would unleash famine.

UN envoy Martin Griffiths arrived in Sanaa on Wednesday to meet with Houthi leaders to discuss convening peace talks in Sweden next month. The Houthis failed to show up to peace talks in September. Kuwait has offered to provide planes for the parties to ensure the participation of both sides in Stockholm.

Griffiths faces a daunting challenge to overcome deep mistrust between all sides. A draft resolution, seen by Reuters, calls for a halt to fighting in Hodeidah, a stop to attacks on populated areas across Yemen and an end to attacks on countries in the region.

It also calls for an unhindered flow of commercial and humanitarian goods, and a large, fast injection of foreign currency into the economy through the central bank.

"We are hoping that these peace conversations in Sweden next month will provide a ceasefire, will provide confidence-building measures. That we will have more possibilities for humanitarian organisations and for the population to start to move, to start to regain a normal life," ICRC's Batallas said.

An estimated 85,000 children under five may have died from extreme hunger in Yemen since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in the civil war in 2015, an aid agency said on Wednesday, as the UN special envoy arrived in Yemen to pursue peace talks.

An estimated 85,000 children under five may have died from extreme hunger in Yemen since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in the civil war in 2015, an aid agency said on Wednesday, as the UN special envoy arrived in Yemen to pursue peace talks. Western countries are pressing for a ceasefire and renewed peace efforts to end the disastrous conflict, which has unleashed the world’s most urgent humanitarian crisis with 8.4 million people believed to be on the verge of starvation. Save the Children said that a conservative estimate based on UN data showed 84,700 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition may have died between April 2015 and October 2018, when a Western-backed Arab alliance has been battling the Iran-aligned Houthi movement that holds the capital Sanaa. "We are horrified that some 85,000 children in Yemen may have died because of the consequences of extreme hunger since the war began. For every child killed by bombs and bullets, dozens are dying from hunger and disease and it's entirely preventable," it said in a statement. The last available figure from the United Nations for the death toll from the conflict, seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, was in 2016 and stood at more than 10,000. The world body has not provided figures for the death toll from malnutrition but warned last month that half the population, or some 14 million people, could soon be on the brink of famine and completely reliant on humanitarian aid. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it had no fatality figures but both malnutrition and fighting were taking a heavy toll on civilians. "What we see in all the different (health) centres and places that we are working in, it's a very catastrophic humanitarian situation, but not only malnutrition," Carlos Batallas, outgoing head of the ICRC delegation in Aden, told Reuters in Geneva. "One of the problems that we are seeing today is that vaccination has not been followed through, that you have pregnant women that have no pre-natal care, women that cannot deliver kids at hospitals or a health centre with nurses." The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a database that tracks violence in Yemen, says around 57,000 people have been reported killed since the beginning of 2016. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to restore the government that was ousted from Sanaa in 2014 by the Houthis, who control most population centres. Since seizing the southern port city of Aden in 2015, the Arab coalition has faced a military stalemate and has been focusing on wresting control of the main port city of Hodeidah to weaken the Houthis by cutting off their main supply line. NO CEASEFIRE YET So far there has been no halt to fighting in Hodeidah, despite an announcement by the coalition last week that it would stop military operations there. A few days later the Houthis announced a halt to missile and drone attacks on coalition leaders Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and their Yemeni allies. Intense fighting in the past two days has taken place in Hodeidah mostly at night, as each side tried to reinforce its positions during the de-escalation in hostilities. "Loud bangs, shelling and gunfire could be heard all over the city until dawn," a Hodeidah resident said on Wednesday. The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said fighting was moving closer to a hospital where its staff operate. "Our staff can hear explosions and shootings occurring extremely close by every day around Al-Salakhana hospital," its operations manager for Yemen said in a statement. A pro-coalition Yemeni military source told Reuters on Monday that a ceasefire in Hodeidah would start only after the UN Security Council passes a British-drafted resolution on Yemen. Aid groups fear an all-out assault on the city, entry point for more than 80 per cent of Yemen's food imports, would unleash famine. UN envoy Martin Griffiths arrived in Sanaa on Wednesday to meet with Houthi leaders to discuss convening peace talks in Sweden next month. The Houthis failed to show up to peace talks in September. Kuwait has offered to provide planes for the parties to ensure the participation of both sides in Stockholm. Griffiths faces a daunting challenge to overcome deep mistrust between all sides. A draft resolution, seen by Reuters, calls for a halt to fighting in Hodeidah, a stop to attacks on populated areas across Yemen and an end to attacks on countries in the region. It also calls for an unhindered flow of commercial and humanitarian goods, and a large, fast injection of foreign currency into the economy through the central bank. "We are hoping that these peace conversations in Sweden next month will provide a ceasefire, will provide confidence-building measures. That we will have more possibilities for humanitarian organisations and for the population to start to move, to start to regain a normal life," ICRC's Batallas said.

War in Yemen: Aid group says over 84,000 children may have died from extreme hunger

UN envoy Martin Griffiths arrived in the rebel-held Yemeni capital on Wednesday for crunch talks on averting all-out fighting for the lifeline port of Hodeida and widespread famine.

Griffiths did not comment to waiting reporters on his arrival at Sanaa International Airport, an AFP photographer reported.&nbsp;

The envoy -- whose last effort to kickstart peace talks collapsed acrimoniously in Switzerland in September -- is trying to get the Huthi Shiite rebels and the Saudi-backed government back to the negotiating table in Sweden by the end of the year.

UN envoy Martin Griffiths arrived in the rebel-held Yemeni capital on Wednesday for crunch talks on averting all-out fighting for the lifeline port of Hodeida and widespread famine.

UN envoy Martin Griffiths arrived in the rebel-held Yemeni capital on Wednesday for crunch talks on averting all-out fighting for the lifeline port of Hodeida and widespread famine. Griffiths did not comment to waiting reporters on his arrival at Sanaa International Airport, an AFP photographer reported. The envoy -- whose last effort to kickstart peace talks collapsed acrimoniously in Switzerland in September -- is trying to get the Huthi Shiite rebels and the Saudi-backed government back to the negotiating table in Sweden by the end of the year.

UN envoy arrives in Yemen capital for crunch talks

Skin and bones, 10-year-old Ghazi Saleh lies on a hospital bed in Yemen's government-held third city Taez barely breathing. He weighs just eight kilogrammes (less than 18 pounds).

Starving and too weak to move or even cry, Ghazi can only look down at his emaciated body as he struggles to keep his eyes open.

Some <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-uae-announce-500-million-in-aid-to-war-torn-yemen-178410">14 million Yemenis are at risk of famine</a>, more than four years into the country's war.

At Al-Mudhafar Hospital where Ghazi is being treated, medics go from one bed to another to check on malnourished children -- including infants.

Eman Ali, a nurse at the hospital, said that Ghazi suffers from acute malnutrition.&nbsp;

"He has not eaten properly for a while now, and he ultimately reached this situation," she told AFP.

While some doctors and nurses weighed children, others tried to feed the young patients through syringes as they have become too weak to swallow.

Cases of malnourished children have become a reflection of the health system in Yemen, where children bear the brunt of the war between the Saudi-backed government and the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels.

'Entirely preventable'

Aid organisation Save the Children said on Wednesday that as many as 85,000 infants under the age of five may have died from starvation or disease since the Saudi-led military coalition intervened in March 2015.

"For every child killed by bombs and bullets, dozens are starving to death and it's entirely preventable," said Save the Children's Yemen director Tamer Kirolos.

"Children who die in this way suffer immensely as their vital organ functions slow down and eventually stop," he said.

While the United Nations is hoping for peace talks to take place in Sweden by the end of this year, the situation on the ground remains dire with millions of children starving.

"We receive such cases every day, and some of them are very terrible," said Sona Othman, head of nutrition at Al-Mudhafar Hospital.

"Ghazi's case was extremely bad and it mirrors the deteriorating health situation of the country."

According to the UN children's agency (UNICEF), more than half of the 14 million people on the edge of famine are children.

Fatima Salman, whose infant son is malnourished, said that she feels more hopeless the longer the conflict rages.&nbsp;

"My husband had a job before the war, and he earned just enough money to feed us, but now there's nothing," she told AFP.

"We want this war to end but we only see it getting worse and worse."

Children at great risk

More than 22 million people -- three quarters of the population -- now depend on humanitarian assistance to survive.

Yemenis struggling to survive such conditions are also confronted with a collapsed economy, leaving civil servants and teachers without pay for months.

UNICEF estimates that some 4.5 million children in Yemen risk losing access to state schools, as teachers have not been paid in nearly two years.

More than 2,500 schools have been damaged or destroyed, and others are now used as shelters for displaced people or as bases run by armed groups.

The war has left an estimated 10,000 people dead since 2015 and triggered what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

However, human rights groups say the real death toll may be five times higher.

Yemen's war has put the country's children at particular risk.

More than 40 per cent of Yemeni girls are married before the age of 15 and three-quarters wed by 18, according to UNICEF, while boys are at risk of being drawn directly into the conflict to fight as child soldiers.

Skin and bones, 10-year-old Ghazi Saleh lies on a hospital bed in Yemen's government-held third city Taez barely breathing. He weighs just eight kilogrammes (less than 18 pounds).

Skin and bones, 10-year-old Ghazi Saleh lies on a hospital bed in Yemen's government-held third city Taez barely breathing. He weighs just eight kilogrammes (less than 18 pounds). Starving and too weak to move or even cry, Ghazi can only look down at his emaciated body as he struggles to keep his eyes open. Some 14 million Yemenis are at risk of famine, more than four years into the country's war. At Al-Mudhafar Hospital where Ghazi is being treated, medics go from one bed to another to check on malnourished children -- including infants. Eman Ali, a nurse at the hospital, said that Ghazi suffers from acute malnutrition. "He has not eaten properly for a while now, and he ultimately reached this situation," she told AFP. While some doctors and nurses weighed children, others tried to feed the young patients through syringes as they have become too weak to swallow. Cases of malnourished children have become a reflection of the health system in Yemen, where children bear the brunt of the war between the Saudi-backed government and the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels. 'Entirely preventable' Aid organisation Save the Children said on Wednesday that as many as 85,000 infants under the age of five may have died from starvation or disease since the Saudi-led military coalition intervened in March 2015. "For every child killed by bombs and bullets, dozens are starving to death and it's entirely preventable," said Save the Children's Yemen director Tamer Kirolos. "Children who die in this way suffer immensely as their vital organ functions slow down and eventually stop," he said. While the United Nations is hoping for peace talks to take place in Sweden by the end of this year, the situation on the ground remains dire with millions of children starving. "We receive such cases every day, and some of them are very terrible," said Sona Othman, head of nutrition at Al-Mudhafar Hospital. "Ghazi's case was extremely bad and it mirrors the deteriorating health situation of the country." According to the UN children's agency (UNICEF), more than half of the 14 million people on the edge of famine are children. Fatima Salman, whose infant son is malnourished, said that she feels more hopeless the longer the conflict rages. "My husband had a job before the war, and he earned just enough money to feed us, but now there's nothing," she told AFP. "We want this war to end but we only see it getting worse and worse." Children at great risk More than 22 million people -- three quarters of the population -- now depend on humanitarian assistance to survive. Yemenis struggling to survive such conditions are also confronted with a collapsed economy, leaving civil servants and teachers without pay for months. UNICEF estimates that some 4.5 million children in Yemen risk losing access to state schools, as teachers have not been paid in nearly two years. More than 2,500 schools have been damaged or destroyed, and others are now used as shelters for displaced people or as bases run by armed groups. The war has left an estimated 10,000 people dead since 2015 and triggered what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. However, human rights groups say the real death toll may be five times higher. Yemen's war has put the country's children at particular risk. More than 40 per cent of Yemeni girls are married before the age of 15 and three-quarters wed by 18, according to UNICEF, while boys are at risk of being drawn directly into the conflict to fight as child soldiers.

War in Yemen: 10-year-old boy weighs 8 kilograms

Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which lead a military coalition against the Huthi rebels in Yemen, announced Tuesday US $500 million in aid to the country on the brink of famine.&nbsp;

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will each give US $250 million in response to the food crisis to support more than 10 million people, said Abdullah Rabeeah, general supervisor at King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre.&nbsp;

He added that donations will go through the United Nations as well as other international and local aid groups.&nbsp;

Rabeeah spoke at a joint news conference in Riyadh with UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem al-Hashimy.

The latest aid package comes after the two countries and Kuwait offered US $1.25 billion to the UN's humanitarian response plan in Yemen for 2018, according to Rabeeah.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE intervened in the Yemen war in 2015 to bolster Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi after the Huthis took over the capital Sanaa.&nbsp;

Both the military coalition backing the government and the Huthi rebels stand accused of acts that could amount to war crimes.

The World Health Organization says nearly 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen since the coalition intervention in March 2015, but rights groups believe the toll may be five times higher.

The war in Yemen -- already one of the world's most impoverished countries -- has left the nation on the edge of mass starvation in what the UN calls the worst humanitarian crisis.

The UN is already providing food aid to some eight million Yemenis but that number could reach 14 million next year, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned last week.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which lead a military coalition against the Huthi rebels in Yemen, announced Tuesday US $500 million in aid to the country on the brink of famine.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which lead a military coalition against the Huthi rebels in Yemen, announced Tuesday US $500 million in aid to the country on the brink of famine. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will each give US $250 million in response to the food crisis to support more than 10 million people, said Abdullah Rabeeah, general supervisor at King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre. He added that donations will go through the United Nations as well as other international and local aid groups. Rabeeah spoke at a joint news conference in Riyadh with UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem al-Hashimy. The latest aid package comes after the two countries and Kuwait offered US $1.25 billion to the UN's humanitarian response plan in Yemen for 2018, according to Rabeeah. Saudi Arabia and the UAE intervened in the Yemen war in 2015 to bolster Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi after the Huthis took over the capital Sanaa. Both the military coalition backing the government and the Huthi rebels stand accused of acts that could amount to war crimes. The World Health Organization says nearly 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen since the coalition intervention in March 2015, but rights groups believe the toll may be five times higher. The war in Yemen -- already one of the world's most impoverished countries -- has left the nation on the edge of mass starvation in what the UN calls the worst humanitarian crisis. The UN is already providing food aid to some eight million Yemenis but that number could reach 14 million next year, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned last week.

Saudi, UAE announce $500 million in aid to war-torn Yemen

A UN draft resolution on Yemen presented to the Security Council on Monday calls for an immediate truce in the port city of Hodeida and sets a two-week deadline for the warring sides to remove all barriers to humanitarian aid, according to the draft seen by AFP.

Britain circulated the draft to the 14 other council members after hearing a report on Friday from a UN envoy working to arrange peace talks in Sweden to end the nearly four-year war.

A vote on the measure has yet to be scheduled.

The proposed resolution would significantly ratchet up the pressure on the Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-backed Huthi rebels to seek a negotiated settlement in Yemen, where millions are on the brink of starvation.

The United Nations considers Yemen the world's biggest humanitarian crisis and has warned that without a stop to the fighting, the country will face one of the worst famines in decades.&nbsp;

The draft text calls "on the parties to introduce a cessation of hostilities in Hodeida governorate, to end all attacks on densely populated civilian areas across Yemen and to cease all missile and UAV attacks against regional countries and maritime areas."

The Red Sea port of Hodeida, which is controlled by the Huthis and is a key point of entry for aid and imports to Yemen, has seen heavy fighting over the past weeks.

The text calls on warring sides to "facilitate the unhindered flow of commercial and humanitarian food, water, fuel, medicine and other essential imports across the country, including by removing within two weeks of the adoption of this resolution, any bureaucratic impediments that could restrict such flows."&nbsp;

The truce would go into effect on the day of the adoption of the resolution.

Under the proposed measures, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would report to the council within two weeks on the cessation of hostilities.&nbsp;

The council said it was ready to "consider further measures" to support a political solution the war, the draft said.

Salaries to be paid within a month

The measure calls for a large injection of foreign currency into the economy through the central back to support the collapsing currency and for salaries of civil servants, teachers and health workers to be paid within one month.

It supports a series of confidence-building measures aimed at paving the way to peace talks including the release of prisoners, the re-opening of the airport in the rebel-held capital Sanaa to commercial flights and strengthening the central bank.

The warring sides are urged to engage with UN envoy Martin Griffiths, who is due to travel to Sanaa this week to finalize arrangements for the peace talks that he hopes to convene soon.

Yemen's internationally recognised government said Monday it will take part in the talks, hours after the head of the Huthi rebel revolutionary committee, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, said he was ready to freeze military operations.

The Saudi-led coalition has been waging a war in Yemen since March 2015 to push back the Huthis and restore to power Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, whose government is recognized by the United Nations.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt arrived Monday in Iran for the first time to discuss Tehran's role in Yemen, meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

&nbsp;

A UN draft resolution on Yemen presented to the Security Council on Monday calls for an immediate truce in the port city of Hodeida and sets a two-week deadline for the warring sides to remove all barriers to humanitarian aid, according to the draft seen by AFP.

A UN draft resolution on Yemen presented to the Security Council on Monday calls for an immediate truce in the port city of Hodeida and sets a two-week deadline for the warring sides to remove all barriers to humanitarian aid, according to the draft seen by AFP. Britain circulated the draft to the 14 other council members after hearing a report on Friday from a UN envoy working to arrange peace talks in Sweden to end the nearly four-year war. A vote on the measure has yet to be scheduled. The proposed resolution would significantly ratchet up the pressure on the Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-backed Huthi rebels to seek a negotiated settlement in Yemen, where millions are on the brink of starvation. The United Nations considers Yemen the world's biggest humanitarian crisis and has warned that without a stop to the fighting, the country will face one of the worst famines in decades. The draft text calls "on the parties to introduce a cessation of hostilities in Hodeida governorate, to end all attacks on densely populated civilian areas across Yemen and to cease all missile and UAV attacks against regional countries and maritime areas." The Red Sea port of Hodeida, which is controlled by the Huthis and is a key point of entry for aid and imports to Yemen, has seen heavy fighting over the past weeks. The text calls on warring sides to "facilitate the unhindered flow of commercial and humanitarian food, water, fuel, medicine and other essential imports across the country, including by removing within two weeks of the adoption of this resolution, any bureaucratic impediments that could restrict such flows." The truce would go into effect on the day of the adoption of the resolution. Under the proposed measures, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would report to the council within two weeks on the cessation of hostilities. The council said it was ready to "consider further measures" to support a political solution the war, the draft said. Salaries to be paid within a month The measure calls for a large injection of foreign currency into the economy through the central back to support the collapsing currency and for salaries of civil servants, teachers and health workers to be paid within one month. It supports a series of confidence-building measures aimed at paving the way to peace talks including the release of prisoners, the re-opening of the airport in the rebel-held capital Sanaa to commercial flights and strengthening the central bank. The warring sides are urged to engage with UN envoy Martin Griffiths, who is due to travel to Sanaa this week to finalize arrangements for the peace talks that he hopes to convene soon. Yemen's internationally recognised government said Monday it will take part in the talks, hours after the head of the Huthi rebel revolutionary committee, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, said he was ready to freeze military operations. The Saudi-led coalition has been waging a war in Yemen since March 2015 to push back the Huthis and restore to power Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, whose government is recognized by the United Nations. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt arrived Monday in Iran for the first time to discuss Tehran's role in Yemen, meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

UN draft resolution calls for Yemen truce, two weeks to unblock aid

The Saudi-led coalition has ordered a halt in its offensive against Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen`s main port city Hodeidah, three sources said on Thursday, in an apparent concession to Western pressure to end the war.

Key Western allies including the United States have been urgently calling for a ceasefire ahead of renewed UN-led peace efforts.

The nearly four-year-old conflict has killed more than 10,000 people and caused a humanitarian disaster that could potentially threaten millions of lives.

The Hodeidah offensive, which first began earlier this year and was re-launched last month after a pause of several months, aims to cut Houthi-ruled areas from their main supply route. The United Nations fears it could deprive millions of people already on the verge of starvation from access to food or medicine.&nbsp;

"The coalition has instructed forces on the ground to halt fighting inside Hodeidah," said one pro-coalition military source. A source in another military force backed by the coalition confirmed the order.&nbsp;

A third non-military source with knowledge of the decision said the coalition was responding to international requests for a ceasefire to ensure the Houthis attend planned peace talks.

Hodeidah has become a key target for the Sunni Muslim coalition, trying to oust the Houthis since 2015 after they took control of the capital Sanaa and overthrew the government. The Houthis now rule over most of Yemen`s population, while the exiled government controls a section of the south.&nbsp;

Western countries have provided arms and intelligence to the Arab states in the alliance, but have shown increasing reservations about the conflict since the murder of US-based Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul early last month.

Saudi Arabia`s foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, said on Thursday the kingdom supports UN-led peace efforts.

"We support a peaceful solution in Yemen and we support the efforts of the UN special envoy to Yemen," Jubeir told a press conference, in which he separately said the Khashoggi case should not be politicised.

Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki would not confirm the order to halt the offensive had been given, saying operations were ongoing: "Each operation has its own specifics and pace," Malki told Reuters, without providing details.&nbsp;

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a Houthi leader and member of its Supreme Revolutionary Committee, told Reuters the group had still not seen an official announcement about a cessation of hostilities and skirmishes continued in outer suburbs.

Misery amid calm

Street battles have abated over the last three days and Hodeidah was calm on Thursday, residents said. Coalition warplanes have conducted intermittent air strikes, mostly in the evening.

"We heard some sporadic (mortar) shelling this morning, but it is very calm," said resident Arwa Mohammed. "People have started to leave their houses and go outside. We don`t want the fighting to resume as our situation is miserable."

Aid groups have warned a full-scale assault on Hodeidah, which handles 80 per cent of the country`s food imports and aid supplies, could trigger a famine. Some 22 million Yemenis rely on aid, out of a population of 29 million. Almost 18 million are considered hungry and 8.4 million severely hungry.

The coalition abandoned its earlier attempt to capture Hodeidah last June without any gains amid concern about a humanitarian catastrophe.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which is leading military operations on the southern and western coast, may want to exit what has become a costly military quagmire, but peace talks will have to overcome deep mistrust among all sides.

UN special envoy Martin Griffiths is trying to salvage talks between the warring Yemeni parties after the last round in September collapsed when the Houthis did not show up. He hopes to convene talks before the end of the year to agree a framework for peace under a transitional government.

Sweden is preparing to host consultations when the parties "are ready to talk", said a source familiar with the matter. "I would describe the process as slightly positive. Steps have been taken during the last weeks towards peace talks."&nbsp;

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash has welcomed an early resumption of talks, saying on Twitter the alliance would raise the issue at a UN Security Council meeting on Friday.

"(The) coalition will urge all parties to take advantage of window of opportunity to restart political process," he said.

The Saudi state news agency reported on Thursday that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the United States and Britain had formed a committee to address the economic and humanitarian situation in Yemen, including through possible support of its central bank.

The Saudi-led coalition has ordered a halt in its offensive against Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen`s main port city Hodeidah, three sources said on Thursday, in an apparent concession to Western pressure to end the war.

The Saudi-led coalition has ordered a halt in its offensive against Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen`s main port city Hodeidah, three sources said on Thursday, in an apparent concession to Western pressure to end the war. Key Western allies including the United States have been urgently calling for a ceasefire ahead of renewed UN-led peace efforts. The nearly four-year-old conflict has killed more than 10,000 people and caused a humanitarian disaster that could potentially threaten millions of lives. The Hodeidah offensive, which first began earlier this year and was re-launched last month after a pause of several months, aims to cut Houthi-ruled areas from their main supply route. The United Nations fears it could deprive millions of people already on the verge of starvation from access to food or medicine. "The coalition has instructed forces on the ground to halt fighting inside Hodeidah," said one pro-coalition military source. A source in another military force backed by the coalition confirmed the order. A third non-military source with knowledge of the decision said the coalition was responding to international requests for a ceasefire to ensure the Houthis attend planned peace talks. Hodeidah has become a key target for the Sunni Muslim coalition, trying to oust the Houthis since 2015 after they took control of the capital Sanaa and overthrew the government. The Houthis now rule over most of Yemen`s population, while the exiled government controls a section of the south. Western countries have provided arms and intelligence to the Arab states in the alliance, but have shown increasing reservations about the conflict since the murder of US-based Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul early last month. Saudi Arabia`s foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, said on Thursday the kingdom supports UN-led peace efforts. "We support a peaceful solution in Yemen and we support the efforts of the UN special envoy to Yemen," Jubeir told a press conference, in which he separately said the Khashoggi case should not be politicised. Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki would not confirm the order to halt the offensive had been given, saying operations were ongoing: "Each operation has its own specifics and pace," Malki told Reuters, without providing details. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a Houthi leader and member of its Supreme Revolutionary Committee, told Reuters the group had still not seen an official announcement about a cessation of hostilities and skirmishes continued in outer suburbs. Misery amid calm Street battles have abated over the last three days and Hodeidah was calm on Thursday, residents said. Coalition warplanes have conducted intermittent air strikes, mostly in the evening. "We heard some sporadic (mortar) shelling this morning, but it is very calm," said resident Arwa Mohammed. "People have started to leave their houses and go outside. We don`t want the fighting to resume as our situation is miserable." Aid groups have warned a full-scale assault on Hodeidah, which handles 80 per cent of the country`s food imports and aid supplies, could trigger a famine. Some 22 million Yemenis rely on aid, out of a population of 29 million. Almost 18 million are considered hungry and 8.4 million severely hungry. The coalition abandoned its earlier attempt to capture Hodeidah last June without any gains amid concern about a humanitarian catastrophe. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which is leading military operations on the southern and western coast, may want to exit what has become a costly military quagmire, but peace talks will have to overcome deep mistrust among all sides. UN special envoy Martin Griffiths is trying to salvage talks between the warring Yemeni parties after the last round in September collapsed when the Houthis did not show up. He hopes to convene talks before the end of the year to agree a framework for peace under a transitional government. Sweden is preparing to host consultations when the parties "are ready to talk", said a source familiar with the matter. "I would describe the process as slightly positive. Steps have been taken during the last weeks towards peace talks." UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash has welcomed an early resumption of talks, saying on Twitter the alliance would raise the issue at a UN Security Council meeting on Friday. "(The) coalition will urge all parties to take advantage of window of opportunity to restart political process," he said. The Saudi state news agency reported on Thursday that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the United States and Britain had formed a committee to address the economic and humanitarian situation in Yemen, including through possible support of its central bank.

Saudi-led coalition halts Hodeidah assault as West presses for Yemen ceasefire: Sources

At least 150 people have been killed in 24 hours of clashes in Yemen's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-61-killed-in-clashes-in-yemens-hodeida-176621">Hodeida</a>, medics and military sources said Monday, as international pressure mounted for a ceasefire in the vital port city.

Government loyalists supported by a Saudi-led coalition are fighting to oust the Iran-backed Huthi rebels from the Red Sea city, whose docks are a lifeline to 14 million Yemenis at risk of starvation.

"If the port at Hodeida is destroyed, that could create an absolutely catastrophic situation," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned.

"The fighting must stop, a political debate must begin, and we must prepare a massive humanitarian response to avoid the worst next year," he said.

A military source in the pro-government coalition said the insurgents had pushed back a large-scale assault aimed at moving towards the port, under rebel control since 2014.

In a statement sent via the Telegram messaging app, the Huthis said they had "lured" loyalists up the western coastline of Hodeida, where the rebels then launched an attack on the troops.

Government forces, led on the ground by Emirati-backed troops, have made their way into Hodeida after 11 days of clashes, reaching residential neighbourhoods in the east on Sunday and sparking fears of street fights that would further endanger civilians trapped in the city.

Residents and government military sources have reported rebel snipers stationed on rooftops in civilian streets in eastern Hodeida, a few kilometres (miles) from the port on the western edge of the city.

Mariam Aldogani, Save the Children's field coordinator in Yemen, said that the people in Hodeida are living in a "state of fear".

"There is ongoing fighting, and the situation is very bad," she told AFP over the weekend by phone, as strikes were heard in the background.

'Enough is enough' 
The Hodeida offensive has sparked international outcry unprecedented in nearly four years of conflict between the Huthis and the Saudi-backed government.

Britain, the United States and France have all called for a cessation to the hostilities. All three countries are major suppliers of arms to Saudi Arabia.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a major ally of Washington, to engage in peace talks.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt met with Saudi King Salman on Monday during a visit to the kingdom to press its rulers to support UN efforts to end the conflict.

Hunt will also meet senior officials from Yemen and the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates, a key pillar of the Saudi-led coalition supporting the Yemeni government, this week.

In France, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said it was time "the international community said enough is enough.

"There will be no victor in this war," Le Drian told France 2 TV.

Civilian toll 
Aid groups fear for the safety of hundreds of thousands of people living in Hodeida -- and for millions of others dependent on its port for what little food and humanitarian aid trickle into impoverished, blockaded Yemen.&nbsp;

A military official in Hodeida on Monday confirmed seven civilians had died, without giving further details.

A 15-year-old boy died last week of shrapnel wounds in Hodeida, Save the Children said.

Medics in hospitals across Hodeida province reported 111 rebels and 32 loyalist fighters killed overnight, according to a tally by AFP.&nbsp;

Sources at the Al-Alfi military hospital, seized by the rebels during their 2014 takeover, said charred body parts had been delivered there overnight. Military sources confirmed that the Saudi-led alliance had targeted the rebels with multiple air strikes.

The rebels have begun to evacuate their wounded to Sanaa, the capital, which the Huthis seized during a 2014 takeover that included a string of ports on Yemen's coastline.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the Yemeni government's fight against the Huthis in 2015, triggering what the UN now calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Nearly 600 people have been killed since clashes erupted in Hodeida on November 1, ending a temporary suspension in a government offensive to take the city that began in June.

Diplomatic pressure 
The coalition has come under intense international pressure to end the conflict, particularly following the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an ardent critic of Prince Mohammed, in his country's consulate in Istanbul on October 2.

Multiple countries, including Germany and Norway, have announced the suspension of arms sales to Saudi Arabia after Khashoggi's killing.&nbsp;

The United Nations' Yemen envoy, Martin Griffiths, is pushing for peace talks between the Huthis and the government by the end of the year.

The United States, which for years provided military training and aerial refuelling for the Saudi-led coalition, on Saturday announced it would end its inflight refuelling support for the alliance.&nbsp;

The alliance accuses Iran of smuggling arms to the Huthis through Hodeida port. Tehran denies the charges.&nbsp;

The World Health Organization estimates nearly 10,000 people have been killed in the Yemen war since 2015. But rights groups believe the toll may be five times as high.

At least 150 people have been killed in 24 hours of clashes in Yemen's Hodeida, medics and military sources said Monday, as international pressure mounted for a ceasefire in the vital port city.

At least 150 people have been killed in 24 hours of clashes in Yemen's Hodeida, medics and military sources said Monday, as international pressure mounted for a ceasefire in the vital port city. Government loyalists supported by a Saudi-led coalition are fighting to oust the Iran-backed Huthi rebels from the Red Sea city, whose docks are a lifeline to 14 million Yemenis at risk of starvation. "If the port at Hodeida is destroyed, that could create an absolutely catastrophic situation," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned. "The fighting must stop, a political debate must begin, and we must prepare a massive humanitarian response to avoid the worst next year," he said. A military source in the pro-government coalition said the insurgents had pushed back a large-scale assault aimed at moving towards the port, under rebel control since 2014. In a statement sent via the Telegram messaging app, the Huthis said they had "lured" loyalists up the western coastline of Hodeida, where the rebels then launched an attack on the troops. Government forces, led on the ground by Emirati-backed troops, have made their way into Hodeida after 11 days of clashes, reaching residential neighbourhoods in the east on Sunday and sparking fears of street fights that would further endanger civilians trapped in the city. Residents and government military sources have reported rebel snipers stationed on rooftops in civilian streets in eastern Hodeida, a few kilometres (miles) from the port on the western edge of the city. Mariam Aldogani, Save the Children's field coordinator in Yemen, said that the people in Hodeida are living in a "state of fear". "There is ongoing fighting, and the situation is very bad," she told AFP over the weekend by phone, as strikes were heard in the background. 'Enough is enough' The Hodeida offensive has sparked international outcry unprecedented in nearly four years of conflict between the Huthis and the Saudi-backed government. Britain, the United States and France have all called for a cessation to the hostilities. All three countries are major suppliers of arms to Saudi Arabia. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a major ally of Washington, to engage in peace talks. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt met with Saudi King Salman on Monday during a visit to the kingdom to press its rulers to support UN efforts to end the conflict. Hunt will also meet senior officials from Yemen and the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates, a key pillar of the Saudi-led coalition supporting the Yemeni government, this week. In France, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said it was time "the international community said enough is enough. "There will be no victor in this war," Le Drian told France 2 TV. Civilian toll Aid groups fear for the safety of hundreds of thousands of people living in Hodeida -- and for millions of others dependent on its port for what little food and humanitarian aid trickle into impoverished, blockaded Yemen. A military official in Hodeida on Monday confirmed seven civilians had died, without giving further details. A 15-year-old boy died last week of shrapnel wounds in Hodeida, Save the Children said. Medics in hospitals across Hodeida province reported 111 rebels and 32 loyalist fighters killed overnight, according to a tally by AFP. Sources at the Al-Alfi military hospital, seized by the rebels during their 2014 takeover, said charred body parts had been delivered there overnight. Military sources confirmed that the Saudi-led alliance had targeted the rebels with multiple air strikes. The rebels have begun to evacuate their wounded to Sanaa, the capital, which the Huthis seized during a 2014 takeover that included a string of ports on Yemen's coastline. Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the Yemeni government's fight against the Huthis in 2015, triggering what the UN now calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Nearly 600 people have been killed since clashes erupted in Hodeida on November 1, ending a temporary suspension in a government offensive to take the city that began in June. Diplomatic pressure The coalition has come under intense international pressure to end the conflict, particularly following the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an ardent critic of Prince Mohammed, in his country's consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Multiple countries, including Germany and Norway, have announced the suspension of arms sales to Saudi Arabia after Khashoggi's killing. The United Nations' Yemen envoy, Martin Griffiths, is pushing for peace talks between the Huthis and the government by the end of the year. The United States, which for years provided military training and aerial refuelling for the Saudi-led coalition, on Saturday announced it would end its inflight refuelling support for the alliance. The alliance accuses Iran of smuggling arms to the Huthis through Hodeida port. Tehran denies the charges. The World Health Organization estimates nearly 10,000 people have been killed in the Yemen war since 2015. But rights groups believe the toll may be five times as high.

Global alarm grows over Yemen's Hodeida as 150 die in clashes in 24 hours

At least 61 combatants have been <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uss-pompeo-calls-for-end-to-fighting-in-yemen-174509">killed in clashes</a> in Yemen's flashpoint Hodeida, medics and a military source said Sunday, and dozens of wounded were taken to hospitals outside the city.

Medics in the Red Sea city reported 43 Huthi rebels and nine loyalists killed in clashes over the past 24 hours. Another nine loyalist fighters were reported killed by medics at a hospital in government-held Mokha, south of Hodeida. A government military source confirmed the toll.

Dozens of wounded rebels were transferred to hospitals in the provinces of Sanaa and Ibb, further inland, a source at the Hodeida military hospital said.&nbsp;

At least 61 combatants have been killed in clashes in Yemen's flashpoint Hodeida, medics and a military source said Sunday, and dozens of wounded were taken to hospitals outside the city.

At least 61 combatants have been killed in clashes in Yemen's flashpoint Hodeida, medics and a military source said Sunday, and dozens of wounded were taken to hospitals outside the city. Medics in the Red Sea city reported 43 Huthi rebels and nine loyalists killed in clashes over the past 24 hours. Another nine loyalist fighters were reported killed by medics at a hospital in government-held Mokha, south of Hodeida. A government military source confirmed the toll. Dozens of wounded rebels were transferred to hospitals in the provinces of Sanaa and Ibb, further inland, a source at the Hodeida military hospital said.

At least 61 killed in clashes in Yemen's Hodeida

The United States wants a "strong Europe" and is willing to help its ally, but Europe must be fair when it comes to sharing the defence burden, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday.

"We want a strong Europe, it's very important to us and whichever way we can do it the best and more efficient would be something we both want," Trump said in remarks after being greeted by President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

Asked what he meant when he tweeted that he felt insulted by Macron's comments that Europe should reduce its dependence on the United States for security, Trump said: "We want to help Europe but it has to be fair. Right now the burden sharing has been largely on the United States."

Macron said he shared Trump's view that Europe needed to finance a greater share of the NATO military alliance's costs. "That's why I do believe my proposals for European defence are fully consistent with that," he said, speaking in English.

The two leaders would discuss issues including Iran, the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, climate change and trade during an hour-long meeting, Macron said.

Trump has toned down his threat of tariffs on cars manufactured in the European Union while the two sides discussed the removal of tariffs on EU aluminium and steel imports.

Trump said negotiations were making progress.

"We'll see if we can get it over the line," Trump added.

The United States wants a "strong Europe" and is willing to help its ally, but Europe must be fair when it comes to sharing the defence burden, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday.

The United States wants a "strong Europe" and is willing to help its ally, but Europe must be fair when it comes to sharing the defence burden, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday. "We want a strong Europe, it's very important to us and whichever way we can do it the best and more efficient would be something we both want," Trump said in remarks after being greeted by President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Asked what he meant when he tweeted that he felt insulted by Macron's comments that Europe should reduce its dependence on the United States for security, Trump said: "We want to help Europe but it has to be fair. Right now the burden sharing has been largely on the United States." Macron said he shared Trump's view that Europe needed to finance a greater share of the NATO military alliance's costs. "That's why I do believe my proposals for European defence are fully consistent with that," he said, speaking in English. The two leaders would discuss issues including Iran, the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, climate change and trade during an hour-long meeting, Macron said. Trump has toned down his threat of tariffs on cars manufactured in the European Union while the two sides discussed the removal of tariffs on EU aluminium and steel imports. Trump said negotiations were making progress. "We'll see if we can get it over the line," Trump added.

Trump says wants 'strong Europe', but more defence cost-sharing

A total of 110 Huthi rebels have been killed in 24 hours of clashes in western Yemen's Hodeida along with 22 pro-government troops fighting to retake the port city, medical sources said Friday.

The latest deaths raised to 382 the number of fighters killed on both sides since the battle for Hodeida intensified on November 1.

According to two doctors at two different hospitals in Hodeida, 55 rebels were killed during clashes and an air strike inside the city and across the province.

A third doctor and a rescuer said that 55 other Huthis were killed in fighting inside the port city and that their bodies had been transferred to the capital Sanaa, which the rebels control.

A loyalist military official reported the deaths of 22 pro-government fighters also during the past 24 hours.

A total of 110 Huthi rebels have been killed in 24 hours of clashes in western Yemen's Hodeida along with 22 pro-government troops fighting to retake the port city, medical sources said Friday.

A total of 110 Huthi rebels have been killed in 24 hours of clashes in western Yemen's Hodeida along with 22 pro-government troops fighting to retake the port city, medical sources said Friday. The latest deaths raised to 382 the number of fighters killed on both sides since the battle for Hodeida intensified on November 1. According to two doctors at two different hospitals in Hodeida, 55 rebels were killed during clashes and an air strike inside the city and across the province. A third doctor and a rescuer said that 55 other Huthis were killed in fighting inside the port city and that their bodies had been transferred to the capital Sanaa, which the rebels control. A loyalist military official reported the deaths of 22 pro-government fighters also during the past 24 hours.

110 rebels, 22 loyalists killed in Yemen's Hodeida: Medics

The battle for a crucial Yemeni port has placed the lives of dozens of children in danger at a hospital perilously close to the fighting, the United Nations' children's agency said Tuesday.

"Intense fighting in the Yemeni port city of Hodeida is now dangerously close to Al-Thawra hospital -- putting the lives of 59 children, including 25 in the intensive care unit, at imminent risk of death," UNICEF said in a statement.

Government troops and rebels have been clashing for five days near the Red Sea port city, which is crucial for humanitarian aid and where hundreds of thousands of civilians could be trapped as war closes in.

The fighting between Iran-linked Huthi rebels and the army, allied with a regional military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, has killed more than 150 combatants.

UNICEF reported that medical staff and patients in the hospital in southern Hodeida city, just 500 metres from the port, heard heavy bombing and gunfire. "Access to and from the hospital, the only functioning one in the area, is now imperilled," it said.

Hodeida is one of the last Huthi strongholds on Yemen's western coastline. The rebels seized the port, along with the capital Sanaa, in 2014.

The Saudi-led alliance, which includes the United Arab Emirates, intervened in 2015 on the side of the government and has since retaken most of the country's ports.

But Hodeida is particularly sensitive as it is the conduit for the vast majority of imports to Yemen, where famine looms over 14 million people and a child dies every 10 minutes, according to the UN.

"The toll in lives could be catastrophic if the port is damaged, destroyed or blocked," UNICEF said Tuesday.&nbsp;

The battle for a crucial Yemeni port has placed the lives of dozens of children in danger at a hospital perilously close to the fighting, the United Nations' children's agency said Tuesday.

The battle for a crucial Yemeni port has placed the lives of dozens of children in danger at a hospital perilously close to the fighting, the United Nations' children's agency said Tuesday. "Intense fighting in the Yemeni port city of Hodeida is now dangerously close to Al-Thawra hospital -- putting the lives of 59 children, including 25 in the intensive care unit, at imminent risk of death," UNICEF said in a statement. Government troops and rebels have been clashing for five days near the Red Sea port city, which is crucial for humanitarian aid and where hundreds of thousands of civilians could be trapped as war closes in. The fighting between Iran-linked Huthi rebels and the army, allied with a regional military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, has killed more than 150 combatants. UNICEF reported that medical staff and patients in the hospital in southern Hodeida city, just 500 metres from the port, heard heavy bombing and gunfire. "Access to and from the hospital, the only functioning one in the area, is now imperilled," it said. Hodeida is one of the last Huthi strongholds on Yemen's western coastline. The rebels seized the port, along with the capital Sanaa, in 2014. The Saudi-led alliance, which includes the United Arab Emirates, intervened in 2015 on the side of the government and has since retaken most of the country's ports. But Hodeida is particularly sensitive as it is the conduit for the vast majority of imports to Yemen, where famine looms over 14 million people and a child dies every 10 minutes, according to the UN. "The toll in lives could be catastrophic if the port is damaged, destroyed or blocked," UNICEF said Tuesday.

Yemen port battle threatens 59 children in hospital: UN

Yemen's rebel chief on Wednesday vowed his fighters would never surrender to Saudi-backed pro-government forces, as the two sides battle for control of the insurgent-held port city of Hodeida.

"Does the enemy think that penetrating this or that area, or seizing this or that area, means we will be convinced that we should surrender and hand over control?" Abdulmalik al-Huthi said in a televised address.&nbsp;

"This is not happening and will not happen ever."

Yemen's rebel chief on Wednesday vowed his fighters would never surrender to Saudi-backed pro-government forces, as the two sides battle for control of the insurgent-held port city of Hodeida.

Yemen's rebel chief on Wednesday vowed his fighters would never surrender to Saudi-backed pro-government forces, as the two sides battle for control of the insurgent-held port city of Hodeida. "Does the enemy think that penetrating this or that area, or seizing this or that area, means we will be convinced that we should surrender and hand over control?" Abdulmalik al-Huthi said in a televised address. "This is not happening and will not happen ever."

Yemen rebel chief vows to 'never surrender'

Yemeni pro-government forces advanced closer to rebel-held Hodeida overnight, a military source said on Wednesday, raising fears over humanitarian aid deliveries through the lifeline port city.

Concern was also growing for civilians in Hodeida, as the fighting drew near and after reports that snipers had positioned themselves on a hospital rooftop.

Plumes of smoke were seen billowing from the horizon on Tuesday as heavily armed pro-government forces moved towards the Red Sea port on foot and on the back of pickup trucks.

A pro-government military source said on Wednesday that loyalists backed by a Saudi-led coalition made "limited advances" overnight towards Hodeida and its port, through which more than 70 per cent of the impoverished country's imports pass.

The coalition, an alliance led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, had sent fighter jets and Apache attack helicopters to cover Yemeni troops fighting rebels on the ground, the source told AFP.

A barrage of 100 air strikes were fired at the weekend around Hodeida, the Save the Children aid group said, citing its staff in the city of 600,000 residents.

In the past 24 hours fighting claimed the lives of 27 rebels and 12 pro-government fighters on the outskirts of Hodeida city, a medical source told AFP on Wednesday.

Nearly 200 combatants have been killed in the past week, according to military sources.

Hospitals in crossfire

The United Nations children's fund, UNICEF, on Wednesday voiced concern an escalation in the violence would jeopardise humanitarian efforts crucial for the survival of millions across the war-torn country.

"The concern really is that if Hodeida port doesn't function anymore, we, as UNICEF, are then not able to bring in humanitarian supplies through that port," Juliette Touma, spokeswoman for the UN agency, told AFP.

Touma said that in past years UNICEF had been able to transport to Hodeida humanitarian supplies using "little boats".

This week marks one year since the government coalition, which controls Yemen's airspace and maritime borders, imposed a blockade on rebel-held Hodeida in retaliation for Huthi missile attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Rights groups now fear for civilians, as fighting nears two hospitals in the area.

A medical source told AFP on Wednesday that the Huthis had forced medical staff out of the May 22 Hospital -- one of Hodeida's main medical facilities -- and stationed snipers on top of the building.

UNICEF warned on Tuesday the fighting was dangerously close to Al-Thawra hospital in southern Hodeida, and was endangering the lives of 59 children.

The clashes come as the United Nations pushes to restart negotiations between the warring parties, after planned talks in Geneva in September failed.

Civilian infrastructure

The International Committee of the Red Cross on Wednesday appealed for warring parties to "spare civilians and civilian infrastructure" including ambulances, hospitals, electricity and water plants.

"Families are staying in schools -- each classroom housing two or three families -- which makes it an average of 20 people in the classroom with nothing whatsoever," said Mirella Hodeib, ICRC spokesman in Sanaa.

"ICRC urges all parties to respect international humanitarian law... and to allow for the safe passage of civilians who want to flee the active conflict zones."

Hodeida, one of the last Huthi strongholds on Yemen's western coast, was seized by the rebels along with the capital Sanaa in 2014.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the government's fight against the Huthis months later, driving the rebels from a string of ports but failing to retake the capital and Hodeida.

Hodeida is Yemen's most valuable port, crucial for aid delivery and food imports to a country where famine looms over 14 million people and a child dies every 10 minutes from easily preventable diseases, according to the UN.

Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse Iran of using Hodeida port to smuggle missiles to the Huthis, a charge Tehran denies.

The World Health Organization estimates nearly 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen's war since 2015, although rights groups say the toll could be five times higher.

Yemeni pro-government forces advanced closer to rebel-held Hodeida overnight, a military source said on Wednesday, raising fears over humanitarian aid deliveries through the lifeline port city.

Yemeni pro-government forces advanced closer to rebel-held Hodeida overnight, a military source said on Wednesday, raising fears over humanitarian aid deliveries through the lifeline port city. Concern was also growing for civilians in Hodeida, as the fighting drew near and after reports that snipers had positioned themselves on a hospital rooftop. Plumes of smoke were seen billowing from the horizon on Tuesday as heavily armed pro-government forces moved towards the Red Sea port on foot and on the back of pickup trucks. A pro-government military source said on Wednesday that loyalists backed by a Saudi-led coalition made "limited advances" overnight towards Hodeida and its port, through which more than 70 per cent of the impoverished country's imports pass. The coalition, an alliance led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, had sent fighter jets and Apache attack helicopters to cover Yemeni troops fighting rebels on the ground, the source told AFP. A barrage of 100 air strikes were fired at the weekend around Hodeida, the Save the Children aid group said, citing its staff in the city of 600,000 residents. In the past 24 hours fighting claimed the lives of 27 rebels and 12 pro-government fighters on the outskirts of Hodeida city, a medical source told AFP on Wednesday. Nearly 200 combatants have been killed in the past week, according to military sources. Hospitals in crossfire The United Nations children's fund, UNICEF, on Wednesday voiced concern an escalation in the violence would jeopardise humanitarian efforts crucial for the survival of millions across the war-torn country. "The concern really is that if Hodeida port doesn't function anymore, we, as UNICEF, are then not able to bring in humanitarian supplies through that port," Juliette Touma, spokeswoman for the UN agency, told AFP. Touma said that in past years UNICEF had been able to transport to Hodeida humanitarian supplies using "little boats". This week marks one year since the government coalition, which controls Yemen's airspace and maritime borders, imposed a blockade on rebel-held Hodeida in retaliation for Huthi missile attacks on Saudi Arabia. Rights groups now fear for civilians, as fighting nears two hospitals in the area. A medical source told AFP on Wednesday that the Huthis had forced medical staff out of the May 22 Hospital -- one of Hodeida's main medical facilities -- and stationed snipers on top of the building. UNICEF warned on Tuesday the fighting was dangerously close to Al-Thawra hospital in southern Hodeida, and was endangering the lives of 59 children. The clashes come as the United Nations pushes to restart negotiations between the warring parties, after planned talks in Geneva in September failed. Civilian infrastructure The International Committee of the Red Cross on Wednesday appealed for warring parties to "spare civilians and civilian infrastructure" including ambulances, hospitals, electricity and water plants. "Families are staying in schools -- each classroom housing two or three families -- which makes it an average of 20 people in the classroom with nothing whatsoever," said Mirella Hodeib, ICRC spokesman in Sanaa. "ICRC urges all parties to respect international humanitarian law... and to allow for the safe passage of civilians who want to flee the active conflict zones." Hodeida, one of the last Huthi strongholds on Yemen's western coast, was seized by the rebels along with the capital Sanaa in 2014. Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the government's fight against the Huthis months later, driving the rebels from a string of ports but failing to retake the capital and Hodeida. Hodeida is Yemen's most valuable port, crucial for aid delivery and food imports to a country where famine looms over 14 million people and a child dies every 10 minutes from easily preventable diseases, according to the UN. Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse Iran of using Hodeida port to smuggle missiles to the Huthis, a charge Tehran denies. The World Health Organization estimates nearly 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen's war since 2015, although rights groups say the toll could be five times higher.

Fears for civilians as Yemen forces edge closer to lifeline port

Government troops and rebels clashed again Tuesday near a Yemeni port city crucial for humanitarian aid, where hundreds of thousands of civilians could be trapped as war closes in.

Five days of battles between Iran-linked Huthi rebels and the army, allied with a regional military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, have left more than 150 combatants dead in the Red Sea province of Hodeida.

A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition on Monday said the government alliance had no plans to launch a full offensive to retake Hodeida.

But multiple military officials on the ground reported their troops had encircled the rebel-held city.

The rebels have also confirmed fierce fighting in the area via their Al-Masirah television station.

The fighting comes as the United Nations pushes to restart negotiations between warring parties, after talks collapsed in Geneva in September.

Hodeida is one of the last Huthi strongholds on Yemen's western coastline. The rebels seized the port, along with the capital, in 2014.

The rival Saudi-led camp, a powerful military alliance that includes the United Arab Emirates, has since retaken most of the country's ports.

'Never-ending nightmare'

The United Nations' children's fund (UNICEF) -- which has called Yemen a "living hell" -- this week warned an assault on Hodeida would jeopardise the lives of people in the city and across the country.

The port of Hodeida is crucial for aid delivery and food imports to Yemen, where famine looms over 14 million people and a child dies every 10 minutes, according to the UN.

Medics at hospitals in the Hodeida neighbourhood of Bajil reported they had received the bodies of 49 Huthi rebels on Tuesday morning.

Hospitals in government-held Mokha, south of Hodeida, said 15 soldiers had been killed.

Rights groups warn the worst could be yet to come in Hodeida.

"The past days have... seen fierce fighting and air strikes pick up in the vicinity of Hodeida city, threatening to further deteriorate civilians' access to safety and aid," the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warned on Monday night.

Save the Children reported almost 100 air strikes counted by its staff at the weekend -- five times as many as in the whole first week of October.

The NRC warned the fighting around Hodeida city threatened "to further deteriorate civilians' access to safety and aid".

Failing economy

The poorest country in the Arab world, Yemen is now home to what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Nearly 14 million people are at risk of famine as the war nears its fourth year.

The World Health Organization says 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led coalition intervened on the side of the government in 2015.

Yemen's government on Tuesday approved new budget and tax collection measures aimed at bolstering the central bank as looming famine threatens millions.

The cabinet backed the formation of a committee tasked with setting the government budget for 2019, according to state news agency Saba.

It also passed a resolution pushing for the collection of owed taxes and customs "on all taxable imports at all land, sea and air ports in liberated areas", or areas under government control.

The Yemeni riyal has plunged more than 36 percent in 2018, despite a $2-billion deposit in the central bank by Saudi Arabia aimed at saving the currency.

The riyal's slide has triggered a sharp rise in the prices of commodities, especially food and fuel, leaving millions unable to afford basic staples.

Government troops and rebels clashed again Tuesday near a Yemeni port city crucial for humanitarian aid, where hundreds of thousands of civilians could be trapped as war closes in.

Government troops and rebels clashed again Tuesday near a Yemeni port city crucial for humanitarian aid, where hundreds of thousands of civilians could be trapped as war closes in. Five days of battles between Iran-linked Huthi rebels and the army, allied with a regional military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, have left more than 150 combatants dead in the Red Sea province of Hodeida. A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition on Monday said the government alliance had no plans to launch a full offensive to retake Hodeida. But multiple military officials on the ground reported their troops had encircled the rebel-held city. The rebels have also confirmed fierce fighting in the area via their Al-Masirah television station. The fighting comes as the United Nations pushes to restart negotiations between warring parties, after talks collapsed in Geneva in September. Hodeida is one of the last Huthi strongholds on Yemen's western coastline. The rebels seized the port, along with the capital, in 2014. The rival Saudi-led camp, a powerful military alliance that includes the United Arab Emirates, has since retaken most of the country's ports. 'Never-ending nightmare' The United Nations' children's fund (UNICEF) -- which has called Yemen a "living hell" -- this week warned an assault on Hodeida would jeopardise the lives of people in the city and across the country. The port of Hodeida is crucial for aid delivery and food imports to Yemen, where famine looms over 14 million people and a child dies every 10 minutes, according to the UN. Medics at hospitals in the Hodeida neighbourhood of Bajil reported they had received the bodies of 49 Huthi rebels on Tuesday morning. Hospitals in government-held Mokha, south of Hodeida, said 15 soldiers had been killed. Rights groups warn the worst could be yet to come in Hodeida. "The past days have... seen fierce fighting and air strikes pick up in the vicinity of Hodeida city, threatening to further deteriorate civilians' access to safety and aid," the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warned on Monday night. Save the Children reported almost 100 air strikes counted by its staff at the weekend -- five times as many as in the whole first week of October. The NRC warned the fighting around Hodeida city threatened "to further deteriorate civilians' access to safety and aid". Failing economy The poorest country in the Arab world, Yemen is now home to what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Nearly 14 million people are at risk of famine as the war nears its fourth year. The World Health Organization says 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led coalition intervened on the side of the government in 2015. Yemen's government on Tuesday approved new budget and tax collection measures aimed at bolstering the central bank as looming famine threatens millions. The cabinet backed the formation of a committee tasked with setting the government budget for 2019, according to state news agency Saba. It also passed a resolution pushing for the collection of owed taxes and customs "on all taxable imports at all land, sea and air ports in liberated areas", or areas under government control. The Yemeni riyal has plunged more than 36 percent in 2018, despite a $2-billion deposit in the central bank by Saudi Arabia aimed at saving the currency. The riyal's slide has triggered a sharp rise in the prices of commodities, especially food and fuel, leaving millions unable to afford basic staples.

Fears for civilians rise as clashes rattle Yemen port city

Conflict-ravaged Yemen has become a "living hell" for children with thousands dying every year from malnutrition and easily preventable diseases, a top UN official said Sunday.

Geert Cappelaere, regional director for the Middle East and North Africa at UN children's agency UNICEF, called on the warring parties to join proposed peace talks later this month and agree to a ceasefire.

"Yemen is today a living hell -- not for 50 to 60 per cent of the children -- it is a living hell for every boy and girl in Yemen," he told a news conference in the Jordanian capital.

According to UNICEF, 1.8 million Yemeni children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition, and the lives of 400,000 severely affected children are under threat. Cappelaere said that 30,000 children die of malnutrition each year in Yemen, while a child dies every 10 minutes from easily preventable diseases.

He said the figures were "a reminder for all of us to realise how dire the situation has become".

"We call on all parties to get together later this month under the leadership of the UN special envoy... And agree on a ceasefire and a road to peace for Yemen," he added.

The appeal came as fighting intensified in the key rebel-held Red Sea port city of Hodeida, despite growing international pressure to end a conflict that has left the country on the brink of famine.

The port is the entry point for more than 70 per cent of imports into the impoverished country.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the war in 2015 to bolster Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi after the Huthi rebels took over the capital Sanaa.

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 10,000 people have since been killed. Some rights groups estimate the toll could be five times higher.

The government said Thursday it was ready to restart peace talks with the Huthis, after a surprise call by the United States for an end to the war, including air strikes by the coalition.

Conflict-ravaged Yemen has become a "living hell" for children with thousands dying every year from malnutrition and easily preventable diseases, a top UN official said Sunday.

Conflict-ravaged Yemen has become a "living hell" for children with thousands dying every year from malnutrition and easily preventable diseases, a top UN official said Sunday. Geert Cappelaere, regional director for the Middle East and North Africa at UN children's agency UNICEF, called on the warring parties to join proposed peace talks later this month and agree to a ceasefire. "Yemen is today a living hell -- not for 50 to 60 per cent of the children -- it is a living hell for every boy and girl in Yemen," he told a news conference in the Jordanian capital. According to UNICEF, 1.8 million Yemeni children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition, and the lives of 400,000 severely affected children are under threat. Cappelaere said that 30,000 children die of malnutrition each year in Yemen, while a child dies every 10 minutes from easily preventable diseases. He said the figures were "a reminder for all of us to realise how dire the situation has become". "We call on all parties to get together later this month under the leadership of the UN special envoy... And agree on a ceasefire and a road to peace for Yemen," he added. The appeal came as fighting intensified in the key rebel-held Red Sea port city of Hodeida, despite growing international pressure to end a conflict that has left the country on the brink of famine. The port is the entry point for more than 70 per cent of imports into the impoverished country. Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the war in 2015 to bolster Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi after the Huthi rebels took over the capital Sanaa. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 10,000 people have since been killed. Some rights groups estimate the toll could be five times higher. The government said Thursday it was ready to restart peace talks with the Huthis, after a surprise call by the United States for an end to the war, including air strikes by the coalition.

In Yemen, a child dies every 10 minutes from easily preventable diseases

Dozens of Yemeni rebels have been killed in battles and air strikes in Hodeida, medics said Sunday, as pro-government forces advanced in the insurgent-held Red Sea port city.

The bloodshed comes despite growing international pressure to end a years-long conflict that has left thousands dead.

Fifty-three Huthi rebels were killed and dozens were injured over the past 24 hours, medical sources in Hodeida told AFP.

Clashes intensified in the city and centred around its university on Saturday and Sunday morning, a pro-government military official said.

Huthi media reported air strikes in Hodeida on Sunday but did not give a fighter casualty toll.

Military officials said Saudi-led coalition warplanes carried out dozens of air strikes to support pro-government forces in the fighting which began on Thursday evening.

Thirteen pro-government troops were killed, medical sources in Aden and Mokha -- where the fighters were transported -- told AFP.

The clashes erupted just hours after the government said Thursday it was ready to restart peace talks with the Iran-backed Huthis.

The offer followed a surprise call by the United States for an end to the Yemen war, including air strikes by the coalition.

Hodeida port is the entry point for more than 70 per cent of imports into the impoverished country, which is teetering on the edge of famine.

'Shamefully slow to act'

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, a special envoy for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), appealed for an immediate ceasefire.

"As an international community we have been shamefully slow to act to end the crisis in Yemen," she said in a statement during a trip to South Korea.

"We have watched the situation deteriorate to the point that Yemen is now on the brink of man-made famine, and facing the worst cholera epidemic in the world in decades," Jolie added.

"The only way to enable refugees to return home, and to bring down the overall numbers worldwide, is to end conflicts themselves."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday had called for a halt to violence to pull Yemen back from the "precipice".

After UN-backed peace talks collapsed in September, the coalition announced it was relaunching an assault on Hodeida.

Yemeni government officials said Tuesday that the coalition had sent more than 10,000 new troops towards the battleground city.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the war in 2015 to bolster Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi after the rebels took over the capital Sanaa and drove the government further south to Aden.

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 10,000 people have since been killed.&nbsp;

Some rights groups estimate the toll could be five times higher.

Dozens of Yemeni rebels have been killed in battles and air strikes in Hodeida, medics said Sunday, as pro-government forces advanced in the insurgent-held Red Sea port city.

Dozens of Yemeni rebels have been killed in battles and air strikes in Hodeida, medics said Sunday, as pro-government forces advanced in the insurgent-held Red Sea port city. The bloodshed comes despite growing international pressure to end a years-long conflict that has left thousands dead. Fifty-three Huthi rebels were killed and dozens were injured over the past 24 hours, medical sources in Hodeida told AFP. Clashes intensified in the city and centred around its university on Saturday and Sunday morning, a pro-government military official said. Huthi media reported air strikes in Hodeida on Sunday but did not give a fighter casualty toll. Military officials said Saudi-led coalition warplanes carried out dozens of air strikes to support pro-government forces in the fighting which began on Thursday evening. Thirteen pro-government troops were killed, medical sources in Aden and Mokha -- where the fighters were transported -- told AFP. The clashes erupted just hours after the government said Thursday it was ready to restart peace talks with the Iran-backed Huthis. The offer followed a surprise call by the United States for an end to the Yemen war, including air strikes by the coalition. Hodeida port is the entry point for more than 70 per cent of imports into the impoverished country, which is teetering on the edge of famine. 'Shamefully slow to act' Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, a special envoy for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), appealed for an immediate ceasefire. "As an international community we have been shamefully slow to act to end the crisis in Yemen," she said in a statement during a trip to South Korea. "We have watched the situation deteriorate to the point that Yemen is now on the brink of man-made famine, and facing the worst cholera epidemic in the world in decades," Jolie added. "The only way to enable refugees to return home, and to bring down the overall numbers worldwide, is to end conflicts themselves." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday had called for a halt to violence to pull Yemen back from the "precipice". After UN-backed peace talks collapsed in September, the coalition announced it was relaunching an assault on Hodeida. Yemeni government officials said Tuesday that the coalition had sent more than 10,000 new troops towards the battleground city. Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the war in 2015 to bolster Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi after the rebels took over the capital Sanaa and drove the government further south to Aden. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 10,000 people have since been killed. Some rights groups estimate the toll could be five times higher.

Dozens of Yemeni rebels killed in Red Sea port city: Medics

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