Four Yemeni soldiers and five assailants were killed in an Al-Qaeda <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-led-coalition-deliberately-planned-strike-on-yemen-funeral-un-7726" target="_blank">attack on a military base in the southern province of Abyan</a> on Monday, a security source said.

A car rigged with explosives carrying five Al-Qaeda militants pulled up to a military base in the district of Mudiya in Abyan, the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Four men wearing explosive belts ran out of the car towards the base, but were all shot dead before they could blow themselves up, the source said.

The vehicle then exploded outside the base, killing the driver and four soldiers from a UAE-backed contingent in the Yemeni army. Nine soldiers were also wounded.

Yemen&#39;s southern provinces, including Abyan, have seen a long-running US drone war against Al-Qaeda&#39;s Yemeni branch.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has flourished in the chaos of Yemen&#39;s civil war pitting the Saudi-backed government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi against Shiite Huthi rebels.

The United States, the only government to operate drones over the impoverished country, considers AQAP to be the radical group&#39;s most dangerous branch and backs the UAE-trained contingent in southern Yemen.

The United Arab Emirates is a key component of a Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in the war to support Hadi&#39;s government in 2015.

More than 8,600 people have since been killed in Yemen, according to the World Health Organization.

In an al-Qaeda attack on a military base has killed four Yemeni soldiers and five assailants

Four Yemeni soldiers and five assailants were killed in an Al-Qaeda attack on a military base in the southern province of Abyan on Monday, a security source said. A car rigged with explosives carrying five Al-Qaeda militants pulled up to a military base in the district of Mudiya in Abyan, the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. Four men wearing explosive belts ran out of the car towards the base, but were all shot dead before they could blow themselves up, the source said. The vehicle then exploded outside the base, killing the driver and four soldiers from a UAE-backed contingent in the Yemeni army. Nine soldiers were also wounded. Yemen's southern provinces, including Abyan, have seen a long-running US drone war against Al-Qaeda's Yemeni branch. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has flourished in the chaos of Yemen's civil war pitting the Saudi-backed government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi against Shiite Huthi rebels. The United States, the only government to operate drones over the impoverished country, considers AQAP to be the radical group's most dangerous branch and backs the UAE-trained contingent in southern Yemen. The United Arab Emirates is a key component of a Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in the war to support Hadi's government in 2015. More than 8,600 people have since been killed in Yemen, according to the World Health Organization.

9 killed in Qaeda attack on south Yemen military base

Indian priest Tom Uzhunnalil who was captured by the ISIS met with Prime MInister Narendra Modi today.&nbsp;

He spoke with the media after meeting with the prime minister.&nbsp;

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WATCH Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil, who was recently rescued from captivity in Yemen addresses the media in Delhi <a href="https://t.co/gijqttwKZx">https://t.co/gijqttwKZx</a>
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&quot;I have prayed for those who kept me (captive). They gave me food &amp; didn&#39;t harm me physically,&quot; Father Tom Uzhunnalil said.&nbsp;

&quot;God has a mission for all of us and my mission has to be present for the old and the dying,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Uzhunnalil also spoke of his meeting with Modi, saying the prime minister was happy that he was now free. And that Modi told him to look after his health.&nbsp;

&quot;He was happy that I am freed. He said take care of your health now,&quot; Uzhunnalil said of his meeting with Modi.&nbsp;

He also said the ISIS &nbsp;had asked him who would help him -- the government or the church?&nbsp;

Uzhunnalil added that he did not know what they did after that.&nbsp;

Uzhunnalil is a Vatican priest from Kerala.&nbsp;

He was abducted in March when ISIS terrorists barged into a care home for the elderly set up by Mother Teresa&rsquo;s Missionaries of Charity in Yemen&rsquo;s Aden.&nbsp;

The terrorists shot dead a number of people including four nuns, one of whom was from India.&nbsp;

Father Tom Uzhunnalil met with Prime MInister Narendra Modi on Thursday, who told him to look after his health

Indian priest Tom Uzhunnalil who was captured by the ISIS met with Prime MInister Narendra Modi today. He spoke with the media after meeting with the prime minister. WATCH Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil, who was recently rescued from captivity in Yemen addresses the media in Delhi https://t.co/gijqttwKZx — ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2017 × "I have prayed for those who kept me (captive). They gave me food & didn't harm me physically," Father Tom Uzhunnalil said. "God has a mission for all of us and my mission has to be present for the old and the dying," he added. Uzhunnalil also spoke of his meeting with Modi, saying the prime minister was happy that he was now free. And that Modi told him to look after his health. "He was happy that I am freed. He said take care of your health now," Uzhunnalil said of his meeting with Modi. He also said the ISIS had asked him who would help him -- the government or the church? Uzhunnalil added that he did not know what they did after that. Uzhunnalil is a Vatican priest from Kerala. He was abducted in March when ISIS terrorists barged into a care home for the elderly set up by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in Yemen’s Aden. The terrorists shot dead a number of people including four nuns, one of whom was from India.

WATCH: I prayed for them, says Indian priest captured by ISIS

Air raids on Yemen&#39;s rebel-held capital on Wednesday killed more than 30 people, including civilians, local and international aid organisations said.

Hussein al-Tawil, head of the Sanaa branch of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-56-dead-as-human-traffickers-throw-300-african-migrants-into-yemen-sea-18802">Yemen</a>&#39;s Red Crescent, said at least 35 people were killed in raids on the northern outskirts of Sanaa, as rescuers continued to pull bodies from the rubble.&nbsp;

An official with an international aid organisation confirmed to AFP that at least 30 people had been killed in a series of strikes on Sanaa, which is home to the country&#39;s anti-government Huthi rebels.

At least 13 others were wounded and have been admitted to local hospitals, Tawil told AFP.&nbsp;

At least one strike targeted a housing accommodation unit where workers from a nearby qat farm were staying, according to witnesses and the unit manager, Taher al-Ahdal.&nbsp;

Hussein al-Tawil, head of the Sanaa branch of Yemen's Red Crescent, said at least 35 people were killed in raids on the northern outskirts of Sanaa, as rescuers continued to pull bodies from the rubble

Air raids on Yemen's rebel-held capital on Wednesday killed more than 30 people, including civilians, local and international aid organisations said. Hussein al-Tawil, head of the Sanaa branch of Yemen's Red Crescent, said at least 35 people were killed in raids on the northern outskirts of Sanaa, as rescuers continued to pull bodies from the rubble. An official with an international aid organisation confirmed to AFP that at least 30 people had been killed in a series of strikes on Sanaa, which is home to the country's anti-government Huthi rebels. At least 13 others were wounded and have been admitted to local hospitals, Tawil told AFP. At least one strike targeted a housing accommodation unit where workers from a nearby qat farm were staying, according to witnesses and the unit manager, Taher al-Ahdal.

30 civilians dead in Yemen air raids: Aid agency

At least 56 people have drowned over the past 24 hours, and dozens remain missing, after human traffickers forced 300 African migrants off two Yemen-bound boats and into the sea.

Survivors -- all Ethiopian and Somali migrants -- managed to make their way to Shabwa, a southern province along Yemen&#39;s Arabian Sea coastline, the International Organization for Migration said.&nbsp;

The war in Yemen has left over 8,300 people dead and displaced millions since 2015, but the impoverished country continues to draw migrants from the Horn of Africa seeking work in prosperous Gulf countries further north.&nbsp;

At least six people drowned on Thursday after human smugglers forced 180 Ethiopians off their boat and into the choppy waters of the Arabian Sea, an IOM spokesperson told AFP.&nbsp;

Thirteen people remained unaccounted for, the spokesperson said. The majority of the migrants appeared to be teenagers and young adults.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, traffickers also forced more than 120 Somali and Ethiopian migrants into the rough seas off Yemen to avoid arrest by local authorities, leaving at least 50 dead and 22 missing, IOM reported.&nbsp;

IOM teams, working with the International Committee of the Red Cross, found the bodies of 29 migrants in shallow graves along the coast of Shabwa, currently under the control of Yemeni troops backed by the United States.&nbsp;

They had been buried by survivors.

&quot;The smugglers deliberately pushed the migrants into the waters since they feared that they would be arrested by the authorities once they reach the shore&quot;, an IOM emergency officer in Aden, where the Yemeni government is based, told AFP.

&#39;Shocking and inhumane&#39; 
 
Laurent de Boeck, IOM&#39;s Yemen mission head, said the boat&#39;s crew immediately returned to Somalia on Wednesday to pick up more migrants headed to Yemen on the same route.

He described the forced drownings as &quot;shocking and inhumane&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;The suffering of migrants on this migration route is enormous. Too many young people pay smugglers with the false hope of a better future,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Long the Arab world&#39;s most impoverished country, Yemen has all but collapsed in what the United Nations has called the &quot;largest humanitarian crisis in the world&quot;.&nbsp;

Years of fighting between the Saudi-backed government and Shiite Huthi rebels allied with Iran have been compounded by a cholera outbreak that has killed almost 2,000 people and the looming threat of famine.&nbsp;

The IOM estimates some 55,000 migrants have however left the Horn of Africa for Yemen since the start of 2017, more than half of them under the age of 18.&nbsp;

The journey is particularly dangerous at this time of year due to high winds in the Indian Ocean.&nbsp;

Despite the war, smugglers -- who are highly active in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden -- have continued to offer passage through Yemen, which shares a land border with Saudi Arabia.

In March, a helicopter opened fire on the vessel carrying over 140 Somali passengers in the Red Sea off the Yemen coast, killing 42 civilians and wounding another 34.

A confidential UN report, seen by AFP in June, said the attack constituted a violation of international humanitarian law and was most likely carried out by a Saudi-led military coalition backing Yemen&#39;s UN-recognised government.&nbsp;

The coalition has denied that its forces were operating in the area when the vessel carrying Somali refugees came under attack.

Survivors -- all Ethiopian and Somali migrants -- managed to make their way to Shabwa, a southern province along Yemen's Arabian Sea coastline,

At least 56 people have drowned over the past 24 hours, and dozens remain missing, after human traffickers forced 300 African migrants off two Yemen-bound boats and into the sea. Survivors -- all Ethiopian and Somali migrants -- managed to make their way to Shabwa, a southern province along Yemen's Arabian Sea coastline, the International Organization for Migration said. The war in Yemen has left over 8,300 people dead and displaced millions since 2015, but the impoverished country continues to draw migrants from the Horn of Africa seeking work in prosperous Gulf countries further north. At least six people drowned on Thursday after human smugglers forced 180 Ethiopians off their boat and into the choppy waters of the Arabian Sea, an IOM spokesperson told AFP. Thirteen people remained unaccounted for, the spokesperson said. The majority of the migrants appeared to be teenagers and young adults. On Wednesday, traffickers also forced more than 120 Somali and Ethiopian migrants into the rough seas off Yemen to avoid arrest by local authorities, leaving at least 50 dead and 22 missing, IOM reported. IOM teams, working with the International Committee of the Red Cross, found the bodies of 29 migrants in shallow graves along the coast of Shabwa, currently under the control of Yemeni troops backed by the United States. They had been buried by survivors. "The smugglers deliberately pushed the migrants into the waters since they feared that they would be arrested by the authorities once they reach the shore", an IOM emergency officer in Aden, where the Yemeni government is based, told AFP. 'Shocking and inhumane' Laurent de Boeck, IOM's Yemen mission head, said the boat's crew immediately returned to Somalia on Wednesday to pick up more migrants headed to Yemen on the same route. He described the forced drownings as "shocking and inhumane". "The suffering of migrants on this migration route is enormous. Too many young people pay smugglers with the false hope of a better future," he said. Long the Arab world's most impoverished country, Yemen has all but collapsed in what the United Nations has called the "largest humanitarian crisis in the world". Years of fighting between the Saudi-backed government and Shiite Huthi rebels allied with Iran have been compounded by a cholera outbreak that has killed almost 2,000 people and the looming threat of famine. The IOM estimates some 55,000 migrants have however left the Horn of Africa for Yemen since the start of 2017, more than half of them under the age of 18. The journey is particularly dangerous at this time of year due to high winds in the Indian Ocean. Despite the war, smugglers -- who are highly active in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden -- have continued to offer passage through Yemen, which shares a land border with Saudi Arabia. In March, a helicopter opened fire on the vessel carrying over 140 Somali passengers in the Red Sea off the Yemen coast, killing 42 civilians and wounding another 34. A confidential UN report, seen by AFP in June, said the attack constituted a violation of international humanitarian law and was most likely carried out by a Saudi-led military coalition backing Yemen's UN-recognised government. The coalition has denied that its forces were operating in the area when the vessel carrying Somali refugees came under attack.

At least 56 dead as human traffickers throw 300 African migrants into Yemen sea

The death toll from a major cholera outbreak in Yemen has risen to 1,500, Nevio Zagaria, the World Health Organization&#39;s (WHO) representative in Yemen, said on Saturday, and appealed for more help to put an end to the epidemic.

Yemen has been devastated by a 27-month war between a Saudi-led coalition and the armed Iran-aligned Houthi group, making it a breeding ground for the disease, which spreads by faeces getting into food or water and thrives in places with poor sanitation.

Speaking at a joint news conference with representatives of the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank, Zagaria said that had been some 246,000 suspected cases in the period to June 30.

The WHO said this week that the outbreak had reached the halfway mark at 218,798 cases as a massive emergency response has begun to curb its spread two months into the epidemic.

Although most of Yemen&#39;s health infrastructure has broken down and health workers have not been paid for more than six months, the WHO is paying &quot;incentives&quot; to doctors, nurses, cleaners and paramedics to staff an emergency cholera network.

With funding help from the World Bank, the WHO is setting up treatment centres with 50-60 beds each, overseen by shifts of about 14 staff working around the clock. The aim is to reach 5,000 beds in total.

Yemen has been devastated by a 27-month war between a Saudi-led coalition, making it a breeding ground for the disease

The death toll from a major cholera outbreak in Yemen has risen to 1,500, Nevio Zagaria, the World Health Organization's (WHO) representative in Yemen, said on Saturday, and appealed for more help to put an end to the epidemic. Yemen has been devastated by a 27-month war between a Saudi-led coalition and the armed Iran-aligned Houthi group, making it a breeding ground for the disease, which spreads by faeces getting into food or water and thrives in places with poor sanitation. Speaking at a joint news conference with representatives of the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank, Zagaria said that had been some 246,000 suspected cases in the period to June 30. The WHO said this week that the outbreak had reached the halfway mark at 218,798 cases as a massive emergency response has begun to curb its spread two months into the epidemic. Although most of Yemen's health infrastructure has broken down and health workers have not been paid for more than six months, the WHO is paying "incentives" to doctors, nurses, cleaners and paramedics to staff an emergency cholera network. With funding help from the World Bank, the WHO is setting up treatment centres with 50-60 beds each, overseen by shifts of about 14 staff working around the clock. The aim is to reach 5,000 beds in total.

Yemen's cholera death toll rises to 1,500: WHO

Washington has announced a bumper arms deal with Saudi Arabia, heralding the package as a major boost to long-standing security ties and a way to further isolate Iran.

Administration officials claim the agreement, worth $110 billion over the next decade, is the biggest single arms deal in American history, and it will see US defence firms flow everything from ships and tanks to the latest anti-missile systems to the kingdom.

The deal also reportedly includes the renewed sale of precision-guided munitions that had been blocked under president Barack Obama&#39;s administration, for fear the Saudis would use them on civilian targets in Yemen, where Riyadh is prosecuting a war against Iranian-backed Huthi rebels.

While not all its aspects have been made public, the thrust of the deal aims to help the Saudi military bolster its defences to deter bitter rival Iran and its missile program.

The agreement clears the way for the sale of Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile technologies, providing Riyadh with state-of-the-art capabilities that could thwart an Iranian rocket.

&quot;This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats, while also bolstering the kingdom&#39;s ability to contribute to counterterrorism operations across the region,&quot; said Mike Miller, State Department director of regional security and arms transfers.

While the Trump administration claimed the weapons package was the biggest ever and said it firmed up bilateral ties between the United States and the oil kingdom, many of the weapons sales had actually been in the pipeline for years.

Observers are mixed about the significance of the deal, which comes under a broader series of investments that the State Department says could tot up to $350 billion.

&quot;Both sides have an incentive to show this as a break with the past and an opening to a new era,&quot; said Derek Chollet, a former assistant secretary of defence for international security affairs and a senior advisor at the German Marshall Fund.

But he sees the reality as more of a natural progression from a process begun under Barack Obama, who approved more than $100 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

&quot;I ask myself if Hillary Clinton was president, what would have been different about this Saudi trip? In terms of the arms sales, maybe not a lot,&quot; Chollet told AFP.

Many of the sales were set in motion months or years ago, but Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner scrambled to ensure the deal was finalised ahead of the US leader&#39;s visit to Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;

According to The New York Times, he even called Lockheed Martin chief Marillyn Hewson to see if she could knock down the price of the THAAD system.

Lockheed is one of the big winners from the deal, which also includes the sale of the firm&#39;s Multi-Mission Surface Combatant Ships and associated gear, for an estimated cost of more than $11 billion.

These ships would allow Riyadh to increase patrols in the strategic Gulf and Red Sea straits in the face of Iranian threats.

The &quot;naval modernization plan would make Saudi Arabia a much more important partner in dealing with the asymmetric threat Iran poses in the Gulf,&quot; said Anthony Cordesman, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.The sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia has drawn broad ire internationally.&nbsp;

For more than two years, Saudi Arabia has led an Arab coalition conducting air strikes and other operations against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

Rights groups have repeatedly criticised the coalition over civilian casualties.

Yemen &quot;is on the brink of famine in part because the Saudis have intentionally destroyed transit hubs and key bridges, and blocked the delivery of humanitarian aid into Yemen,&quot; Democratic Senator Chris Murphy wrote in an opinion piece.&nbsp;

&quot;By selling the Saudis these precision-guided weapons more, not fewer, civilians will be killed because it is Saudi Arabia&#39;s strategy to starve Yemenis to death to increase their own leverage at the negotiating table. They couldn&#39;t do this without the weapons we are selling them.&quot;

Israel has expressed concerns about US arms sales to Saudi Arabia eroding its own defensive edge in the region, but the deal does not include the sale of F-35 stealth fighters, which the Jewish state now owns.

&quot;There is nothing in this package of sales, taken individually or as a whole, that will undermine Israel&#39;s qualitative military edge,&quot; Miller said.

The cosy relationship Trump is fostering with Saudi Arabia belies the views of many of his supporters at home, who blame the kingdom for the September 11, 2001 terror attacks against America.

Of the 19 hijackers of planes used that day, 15 came from Saudi Arabia, also the birthplace of Al-Qaeda founder and attack mastermind Osama bin Laden.

(AFP)

The agreement clears the way for the sale of Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile technologies, providing Riyadh with state-of-the-art capabilities that could thwart an Iranian rocket

Washington has announced a bumper arms deal with Saudi Arabia, heralding the package as a major boost to long-standing security ties and a way to further isolate Iran. Administration officials claim the agreement, worth $110 billion over the next decade, is the biggest single arms deal in American history, and it will see US defence firms flow everything from ships and tanks to the latest anti-missile systems to the kingdom. The deal also reportedly includes the renewed sale of precision-guided munitions that had been blocked under president Barack Obama's administration, for fear the Saudis would use them on civilian targets in Yemen, where Riyadh is prosecuting a war against Iranian-backed Huthi rebels. While not all its aspects have been made public, the thrust of the deal aims to help the Saudi military bolster its defences to deter bitter rival Iran and its missile program. The agreement clears the way for the sale of Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile technologies, providing Riyadh with state-of-the-art capabilities that could thwart an Iranian rocket. "This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats, while also bolstering the kingdom's ability to contribute to counterterrorism operations across the region," said Mike Miller, State Department director of regional security and arms transfers. While the Trump administration claimed the weapons package was the biggest ever and said it firmed up bilateral ties between the United States and the oil kingdom, many of the weapons sales had actually been in the pipeline for years. Observers are mixed about the significance of the deal, which comes under a broader series of investments that the State Department says could tot up to $350 billion. "Both sides have an incentive to show this as a break with the past and an opening to a new era," said Derek Chollet, a former assistant secretary of defence for international security affairs and a senior advisor at the German Marshall Fund. But he sees the reality as more of a natural progression from a process begun under Barack Obama, who approved more than $100 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia. "I ask myself if Hillary Clinton was president, what would have been different about this Saudi trip? In terms of the arms sales, maybe not a lot," Chollet told AFP. Many of the sales were set in motion months or years ago, but Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner scrambled to ensure the deal was finalised ahead of the US leader's visit to Saudi Arabia. According to The New York Times, he even called Lockheed Martin chief Marillyn Hewson to see if she could knock down the price of the THAAD system. Lockheed is one of the big winners from the deal, which also includes the sale of the firm's Multi-Mission Surface Combatant Ships and associated gear, for an estimated cost of more than $11 billion. These ships would allow Riyadh to increase patrols in the strategic Gulf and Red Sea straits in the face of Iranian threats. The "naval modernization plan would make Saudi Arabia a much more important partner in dealing with the asymmetric threat Iran poses in the Gulf," said Anthony Cordesman, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.The sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia has drawn broad ire internationally. For more than two years, Saudi Arabia has led an Arab coalition conducting air strikes and other operations against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Rights groups have repeatedly criticised the coalition over civilian casualties. Yemen "is on the brink of famine in part because the Saudis have intentionally destroyed transit hubs and key bridges, and blocked the delivery of humanitarian aid into Yemen," Democratic Senator Chris Murphy wrote in an opinion piece. "By selling the Saudis these precision-guided weapons more, not fewer, civilians will be killed because it is Saudi Arabia's strategy to starve Yemenis to death to increase their own leverage at the negotiating table. They couldn't do this without the weapons we are selling them." Israel has expressed concerns about US arms sales to Saudi Arabia eroding its own defensive edge in the region, but the deal does not include the sale of F-35 stealth fighters, which the Jewish state now owns. "There is nothing in this package of sales, taken individually or as a whole, that will undermine Israel's qualitative military edge," Miller said. The cosy relationship Trump is fostering with Saudi Arabia belies the views of many of his supporters at home, who blame the kingdom for the September 11, 2001 terror attacks against America. Of the 19 hijackers of planes used that day, 15 came from Saudi Arabia, also the birthplace of Al-Qaeda founder and attack mastermind Osama bin Laden. (AFP)

US-Saudi arms mega deal seeks to counter Iran

Nearly 23,500 suspected cases of cholera have been registered in war-ravaged Yemen in the past three weeks, including 242 deaths, the World Health Organization said on Friday.

&quot;The speed of the resurgence of this cholera epidemic is unprecedented,&quot; WHO country representative for Yemen Nevio Zagaria told reporters in a conference call, warning that there could be as many as 250,000 cases in the country within six months.

On Monday, the International Committee of the Red Cross had said cholera outbreak had killed 180 people since April 27, hours after the Houthi-controlled health ministry said 115 had died from the disease in the capital Sanaa. ICRC&#39;s Dominik Stillhart had told reporters in the Yemeni city of Aden there were 11,000 more suspected cholera cases across the war-torn country.

Cholera is normally contracted by consumption of water and food contaminated by human faeces. It leads to massive dehydrating diarrhoea attacks along with vomiting and cramps which if not quickly healed can kill a person in a few days.

(AFP)&nbsp;

Nearly 23,500 suspected cases of cholera have been registered in war-ravaged Yemen in the past three weeks, WHO said

Nearly 23,500 suspected cases of cholera have been registered in war-ravaged Yemen in the past three weeks, including 242 deaths, the World Health Organization said on Friday. "The speed of the resurgence of this cholera epidemic is unprecedented," WHO country representative for Yemen Nevio Zagaria told reporters in a conference call, warning that there could be as many as 250,000 cases in the country within six months. On Monday, the International Committee of the Red Cross had said cholera outbreak had killed 180 people since April 27, hours after the Houthi-controlled health ministry said 115 had died from the disease in the capital Sanaa. ICRC's Dominik Stillhart had told reporters in the Yemeni city of Aden there were 11,000 more suspected cholera cases across the war-torn country. Cholera is normally contracted by consumption of water and food contaminated by human faeces. It leads to massive dehydrating diarrhoea attacks along with vomiting and cramps which if not quickly healed can kill a person in a few days. (AFP)

242 deaths in Yemen in three weeks due to cholera: WHO

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

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

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

Cholera epidemic has killed 180 in Yemen: ICRC

An Indian priest kidnapped after an attack on a care home in Yemen&#39;s southern port city of Aden last year has appealed for help in a video recording carried by a Yemeni news website.

Father Tom Uzhunnalil was abducted in March 2016 when four gunmen posing as relatives of one of the residents at the home burst inside, killing four Indian nuns, two Yemeni female staff members, eight elderly residents and a guard.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack and the motive for the incident was unclear, but President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has called it an act of terrorism.

&quot;They are treating me well to the extent they are able,&quot; the white-bearded Uzhunnalil said, speaking slowly in English.

&quot;My health condition is deteriorating quickly and I require hospitalisation as early as possible,&quot; he added in the recording carried by Aden Time (www.aden-tm.net) news website.

Watch video:&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AGpa-tBUvuk?ecver=1" width="854"></iframe>

The date April 15, 2017 was written on a cardboard pasted on his body.

Uzhunnalil said his kidnappers had contacted the Indian government and the Catholic bishop in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates with their demands, but the response was &quot;not encouraging&quot;.

&quot;My dear family people, do what you can to help me be released. Please, please do what you can to help to get me released. May God bless you for that,&quot; he pleaded.

The authenticity of the recording could not immediately be verified.

Aden&#39;s minority Christian community have largely fled what used to be a cosmopolitan seaport before it became a conflict zone.

During an all-out civil war in March 2015 Iran-aligned Houthis advanced on Aden, forcing the government forces to flee.

A Saudi-led Arab coalition has since helped local fighters expel the Houthis, but security in Aden has not been fully restored.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

Father Tom Uzhunnalil was abducted in March 2016

An Indian priest kidnapped after an attack on a care home in Yemen's southern port city of Aden last year has appealed for help in a video recording carried by a Yemeni news website. Father Tom Uzhunnalil was abducted in March 2016 when four gunmen posing as relatives of one of the residents at the home burst inside, killing four Indian nuns, two Yemeni female staff members, eight elderly residents and a guard. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack and the motive for the incident was unclear, but President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has called it an act of terrorism. "They are treating me well to the extent they are able," the white-bearded Uzhunnalil said, speaking slowly in English. "My health condition is deteriorating quickly and I require hospitalisation as early as possible," he added in the recording carried by Aden Time (www.aden-tm.net) news website. Watch video: The date April 15, 2017 was written on a cardboard pasted on his body. Uzhunnalil said his kidnappers had contacted the Indian government and the Catholic bishop in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates with their demands, but the response was "not encouraging". "My dear family people, do what you can to help me be released. Please, please do what you can to help to get me released. May God bless you for that," he pleaded. The authenticity of the recording could not immediately be verified. Aden's minority Christian community have largely fled what used to be a cosmopolitan seaport before it became a conflict zone. During an all-out civil war in March 2015 Iran-aligned Houthis advanced on Aden, forcing the government forces to flee. A Saudi-led Arab coalition has since helped local fighters expel the Houthis, but security in Aden has not been fully restored. (Reuters)

Video: Kidnapped Indian priest in Yemen pleads for help

Clashes and air strikes in southwest Yemen have killed more than 40 soldiers, rebels and civilians over the past 24 hours, officials and medics said today.

Warplanes from the Saudi-led Arab coalition have pounded Huthi rebel positions east of the Red Sea port of Mokha and other areas of Taez province since yesterday, a military official said.

Clashes raged after the air raids in the Jabal al-Nar area east of Mokha and north of the city on the road to Hodeida, Yemen&#39;s main Red Sea port, the official said.

At least 17 rebels were killed in the air strikes and fighting, medical sources in rebel-held Hodeida said.

The coalition-backed government says Hodeida is its next target in a months-long offensive aimed at pushing the Iran-backed insurgents away from the country&#39;s lengthy Red Sea coastline.

Another 11 rebels were killed in air strikes on Kamran island and a base in Hodeida itself, the medical sources said.

Ten soldiers were also killed and 15 were wounded in the confrontations, said medical sources in Aden, the temporary base of the government as Sanaa remains under rebel control.

Meanwhile, three civilians were killed and two others were wounded Monday in a bombing that targeted the convoy of General Ali Muqbel Saleh, commander of the 33rd Armoured Brigade, in Daleh city, a security official said.

A medical source in Daleh confirmed the toll.

The war between the government and the rebels escalated in March 2015 when the Arab coalition intervened in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

The UN estimates that more than 7,700 people have been killed over the past two years and more than 40,000 wounded in impoverished Yemen which faces a serious risk of famine this year.

(AFP)

At least 17 rebels were killed in the air strikes and fighting, medical sources in rebel-held Hodeida said

Clashes and air strikes in southwest Yemen have killed more than 40 soldiers, rebels and civilians over the past 24 hours, officials and medics said today. Warplanes from the Saudi-led Arab coalition have pounded Huthi rebel positions east of the Red Sea port of Mokha and other areas of Taez province since yesterday, a military official said. Clashes raged after the air raids in the Jabal al-Nar area east of Mokha and north of the city on the road to Hodeida, Yemen's main Red Sea port, the official said. At least 17 rebels were killed in the air strikes and fighting, medical sources in rebel-held Hodeida said. The coalition-backed government says Hodeida is its next target in a months-long offensive aimed at pushing the Iran-backed insurgents away from the country's lengthy Red Sea coastline. Another 11 rebels were killed in air strikes on Kamran island and a base in Hodeida itself, the medical sources said. Ten soldiers were also killed and 15 were wounded in the confrontations, said medical sources in Aden, the temporary base of the government as Sanaa remains under rebel control. Meanwhile, three civilians were killed and two others were wounded Monday in a bombing that targeted the convoy of General Ali Muqbel Saleh, commander of the 33rd Armoured Brigade, in Daleh city, a security official said. A medical source in Daleh confirmed the toll. The war between the government and the rebels escalated in March 2015 when the Arab coalition intervened in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. The UN estimates that more than 7,700 people have been killed over the past two years and more than 40,000 wounded in impoverished Yemen which faces a serious risk of famine this year. (AFP)

More than 40 killed in clashes in Yemen in last 24 hours

Yemen&#39;s Al-Qaeda has detained two militants accused of being US informants in a district targeted by multiple air raids over the past week, a tribal leader said Wednesday.&nbsp;

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) arrested two of its operatives in Mawjan district in the southern Abyan province on accusations they were &quot;spying for the United States&quot;, a tribal leader there said on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;

Abyan has been the target of US air strikes as well as an AQAP attack on the army over the past week.&nbsp;

Washington&#39;s drone war on AQAP has resumed pace since President Donald Trump took office in January.&nbsp;

The US is thought to have launched at least 40 air strikes by warplanes and drones against AQAP since last week, targeting the southern provinces of Abyan and Shabwa as well as Baida, slightly to the north.&nbsp;

More than two years of civil war between government forces and Shiite rebels who control the capital have created a power vacuum in Yemen, one which AQAP has exploited to consolidate its presence in the south and east.

Washington regards AQAP as the jihadist network&#39;s most dangerous and says it has been plotting attacks on the West in recent months.

(AFP)

The US is thought to have launched at least 40 attacks by warplanes or drones since last week,

Yemen's Al-Qaeda has detained two militants accused of being US informants in a district targeted by multiple air raids over the past week, a tribal leader said Wednesday. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) arrested two of its operatives in Mawjan district in the southern Abyan province on accusations they were "spying for the United States", a tribal leader there said on condition of anonymity. Abyan has been the target of US air strikes as well as an AQAP attack on the army over the past week. Washington's drone war on AQAP has resumed pace since President Donald Trump took office in January. The US is thought to have launched at least 40 air strikes by warplanes and drones against AQAP since last week, targeting the southern provinces of Abyan and Shabwa as well as Baida, slightly to the north. More than two years of civil war between government forces and Shiite rebels who control the capital have created a power vacuum in Yemen, one which AQAP has exploited to consolidate its presence in the south and east. Washington regards AQAP as the jihadist network's most dangerous and says it has been plotting attacks on the West in recent months. (AFP)

Yemen's Al-Qaeda detains 2 militants for 'spying for US'

UN aid agencies need $4.4 billion in emergency funding to address famine in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday.

More than 20 million people face&nbsp;starvation in the four countries and action is needed now to avert a humanitarian disaster, Guterres told a news conference at UN headquarters.

&quot;We need $4.4 billion by the end of March to avert a catastrophe,&quot; he said.

So far, the United Nations has raised $90 million to fund a global response to the four famine alerts, which are unprecedented in recent decades.

South Sudan on Monday declared a famine in parts of the north, while Fews Net, the famine early warning system, has said that some remote areas of northeast Nigeria are affected by starvation since late last year.

There has only been one famine since 2000, in Somalia. At least 260,000 people died in the 2011 disaster , half of them children under the age of five, according to the UN World Food Program.

The UN children&#39;s agency UNICEF this week said almost 1.4 million children acutely malnourished in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen could die as food shortages worsen in the coming months.

Of the four famine alerts, only one, Somalia, is caused by drought, while the other three stem from conflicts, described as &quot;man-made food crises.&quot;

In Yemen, where war has been raging for nearly two years, about 7.3 million people need food aid now, in the &quot;largest food insecurity emergency in the world,&quot; said Guterres.

Un-blocking aid

The Saudi-led coalition waging a military campaign against rebels in Yemen has been accused of imposing a blockade on Yemen, which relies almost entirely on imports.

The UN chief appealed to warring sides to allow aid workers to reach starving civilians.

&quot;The situation is so dire. This is the moment in which international humanitarian law must be respected by all and access must be granted to all areas,&quot; said Guterres.

Across northeast Nigeria, some 5.1 million people face severe food shortages and nearly 500,000 children are suffering from acute malnutrition as the conflict with Boko Haram militants grinds on.&nbsp;

Famine has already been declared in two counties of South Sudan and nearly 5 million people are in desperate need of food.

Guterres, who took over from Ban Ki-moon on January 1, appeared at a news conference with top aid officials who stressed they had contingency plans in place, but needed funds to swing into action.

The appeal came as humanitarian aid groups are already struggling to meet needs in Syria and cope with the global refugee crisis.

The International Rescue Committee said Wednesday that the famine designation in South Sudan meant that people were already dying and that the international response was too late.

&quot;These crises remain among the least discussed and most underfunded in the world despite their extraordinary scale, scope and man-made origins. This is absurd,&quot; said Ciaran Donnelly, international programs director at the IRC.

&quot;The IRC and other aid groups have been raising the alarm of an impending famine in South Sudan for months, and instead of taking the warnings seriously, it fell largely on deaf ears,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(AFP)

More than 20 million people face?starvation in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen

UN aid agencies need $4.4 billion in emergency funding to address famine in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday. More than 20 million people face starvation in the four countries and action is needed now to avert a humanitarian disaster, Guterres told a news conference at UN headquarters. "We need $4.4 billion by the end of March to avert a catastrophe," he said. So far, the United Nations has raised $90 million to fund a global response to the four famine alerts, which are unprecedented in recent decades. South Sudan on Monday declared a famine in parts of the north, while Fews Net, the famine early warning system, has said that some remote areas of northeast Nigeria are affected by starvation since late last year. There has only been one famine since 2000, in Somalia. At least 260,000 people died in the 2011 disaster , half of them children under the age of five, according to the UN World Food Program. The UN children's agency UNICEF this week said almost 1.4 million children acutely malnourished in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen could die as food shortages worsen in the coming months. Of the four famine alerts, only one, Somalia, is caused by drought, while the other three stem from conflicts, described as "man-made food crises." In Yemen, where war has been raging for nearly two years, about 7.3 million people need food aid now, in the "largest food insecurity emergency in the world," said Guterres. Un-blocking aid The Saudi-led coalition waging a military campaign against rebels in Yemen has been accused of imposing a blockade on Yemen, which relies almost entirely on imports. The UN chief appealed to warring sides to allow aid workers to reach starving civilians. "The situation is so dire. This is the moment in which international humanitarian law must be respected by all and access must be granted to all areas," said Guterres. Across northeast Nigeria, some 5.1 million people face severe food shortages and nearly 500,000 children are suffering from acute malnutrition as the conflict with Boko Haram militants grinds on. Famine has already been declared in two counties of South Sudan and nearly 5 million people are in desperate need of food. Guterres, who took over from Ban Ki-moon on January 1, appeared at a news conference with top aid officials who stressed they had contingency plans in place, but needed funds to swing into action. The appeal came as humanitarian aid groups are already struggling to meet needs in Syria and cope with the global refugee crisis. The International Rescue Committee said Wednesday that the famine designation in South Sudan meant that people were already dying and that the international response was too late. "These crises remain among the least discussed and most underfunded in the world despite their extraordinary scale, scope and man-made origins. This is absurd," said Ciaran Donnelly, international programs director at the IRC. "The IRC and other aid groups have been raising the alarm of an impending famine in South Sudan for months, and instead of taking the warnings seriously, it fell largely on deaf ears," he added. (AFP)

UN needs emergency funding of $4.4 bn for famine relief in four countries

Eight women and a child were killed in an overnight air raid on a funeral reception near the Yemeni capital Sanaa, medics said on Thursday.

At least 10 more women were reported wounded in the raid, which hit the women&#39;s reception area at a funeral in Arhab district, 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Sanaa.&nbsp;

Medics dispatched to the incident identified the bombing site as the residence of Mohammed Al Nakii in the village of Shiraa.&nbsp;

Huthi rebels, who control the capital, accused a Saudi-backed coalition of carrying out the strike.

A coalition spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

A post on the Huthi-run saba.ye news website late Wednesday gave an initial toll of six women killed and 10 wounded.&nbsp;

Casualties were transported to hospitals in Sanaa.&nbsp;

Yemen&#39;s war pits the internationally recognised government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi against Iran-backed Huthis, allied with forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The conflict spiralled in March 2015 when the coalition began targeting the Shiite rebels, who had seized control of Sanaa.&nbsp;

The United Nations says more than 7,400 people, including around 1,400 children, have been killed since then in the fight for territorial control across the country.&nbsp;

The Arab coalition has faced repeated allegations of targeting weddings, funerals, schools and hospitals in Yemen.&nbsp;

The coalition maintains it does not deliberately target civilians.

But in October it admitted to killing 140 people in an air strike on a funeral in Sanaa, blaming the deaths on &quot;incorrect information&quot; after initially denying involvement. &nbsp;

International rights group Human Rights Watch on Thursday released a report blaming the coalition for a January 10 air strike on a market.&nbsp;

The strike near a school in the rebel-held northern Nihm province killed five people, including at least one child.&nbsp;

&quot;The bombing death of an 11-year-old girl on her way to school shows how little the Saudi-led coalition took to heart its brief inclusion on the UN secretary-general&#39;s &#39;list of shame&#39;,&quot; said HRW&#39;s Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson.&nbsp;

The UN in June added the Saudi-led coalition to a blacklist of child rights violators over its involvement in Yemen, though it was later removed.&nbsp;

A 14-member independent team tasked with investigating strikes on Yemen last year acknowledged &quot;shortcomings&quot; in some coalition strikes.

The team includes coalition states Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Yemen.

(AFP)

At least 10 more women were reported wounded in the raid, which hit the women's reception area at a funeral in Arhab district near Sanaa

Eight women and a child were killed in an overnight air raid on a funeral reception near the Yemeni capital Sanaa, medics said on Thursday. At least 10 more women were reported wounded in the raid, which hit the women's reception area at a funeral in Arhab district, 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Sanaa. Medics dispatched to the incident identified the bombing site as the residence of Mohammed Al Nakii in the village of Shiraa. Huthi rebels, who control the capital, accused a Saudi-backed coalition of carrying out the strike. A coalition spokesperson was not immediately available for comment. A post on the Huthi-run saba.ye news website late Wednesday gave an initial toll of six women killed and 10 wounded. Casualties were transported to hospitals in Sanaa. Yemen's war pits the internationally recognised government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi against Iran-backed Huthis, allied with forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The conflict spiralled in March 2015 when the coalition began targeting the Shiite rebels, who had seized control of Sanaa. The United Nations says more than 7,400 people, including around 1,400 children, have been killed since then in the fight for territorial control across the country. The Arab coalition has faced repeated allegations of targeting weddings, funerals, schools and hospitals in Yemen. The coalition maintains it does not deliberately target civilians. But in October it admitted to killing 140 people in an air strike on a funeral in Sanaa, blaming the deaths on "incorrect information" after initially denying involvement. International rights group Human Rights Watch on Thursday released a report blaming the coalition for a January 10 air strike on a market. The strike near a school in the rebel-held northern Nihm province killed five people, including at least one child. "The bombing death of an 11-year-old girl on her way to school shows how little the Saudi-led coalition took to heart its brief inclusion on the UN secretary-general's 'list of shame'," said HRW's Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson. The UN in June added the Saudi-led coalition to a blacklist of child rights violators over its involvement in Yemen, though it was later removed. A 14-member independent team tasked with investigating strikes on Yemen last year acknowledged "shortcomings" in some coalition strikes. The team includes coalition states Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Yemen. (AFP)

Eight women, 1 child killed in Yemen air raid

Al-Qaeda is gaining ground in Yemen and could benefit from military actions like the deadly raid by elite US forces ordered by President Donald Trump, the International Crisis Group warned Thursday.

&quot;The Yemeni branch of Al-Qaeda is stronger than it has ever been,&quot; ICG said in a report documenting the spread of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

&quot;The first military actions by the Trump administration in Yemen bode poorly for the prospect of smartly and effectively countering AQAP,&quot; read the report, released after Sunday&#39;s US air raid in central Yemen.

While Washington has said at least 14 suspected jihadists and one US Navy SEAL were killed in the strike, ICG said the death toll included &quot;many civilians, including at least 10 women and children&quot;.

The think-tank warned that strikes like the January 29 raid on Baida province could increase fear of or even hostility towards the United States among civilians, providing fertile ground for recruitment by AQAP.&nbsp;

&quot;The use of US soldiers, high civilian casualties and disregard for local tribal and political dynamics... plays into AQAP&#39;s narrative of defending Muslims against the West and could increase anti-US sentiment and with it AQAP&#39;s pool of recruits,&quot; said the Brussels-based ICG.&nbsp;

With its key role in regional politics, Trump&#39;s White House also stands to impact efforts to find a political solution to Yemen&#39;s conflict which has killed more than 7,400 people since March 2015, according to the World Health Organisation.&nbsp;

&quot;These efforts will be imperilled if states interested in fighting AQAP and Yemen&#39;s nascent Islamic State (IS) branch, such as the US, take military actions that ignore the local context... or fail to restrain partners who tolerate or even encourage AQAP/IS activities,&quot; added the 35-page report.&nbsp;

Saudi Arabia, which intervened militarily two years ago in Yemen to support the government, is a key regional ally of the United States, which regards AQAP as Al-Qaeda&#39;s most dangerous branch.&nbsp;

The oil-rich Gulf monarchy has been spared Trump&#39;s travel ban imposed last Friday targeting nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen.&nbsp;

Women, children &#39;among dead&#39;

Washington is also facing questions on whether an eight-year-old American girl was killed in the raid.

Local sources say the girl was the daughter of senior Al-Qaeda cleric and US citizen Anwar al-Awlaqi, killed in a 2011 US drone strike.

Under Trump&#39;s predecessor Barack Obama, the US dramatically increased its use of drone strikes against suspected jihadists in Yemen.

The Pentagon said Monday that &quot;a lot of female combatants&quot; were caught up in Sunday&#39;s battle. Women were among the fatalities, it said, declining to specify whether children were also killed.

The death toll was still being evaluated, it said.

On the ground, a Yemeni provincial official gave a toll of 41 suspected militants and 16 civilians killed, eight of them women and eight children.

The US raid was said to have targeted the houses of three tribal chiefs linked to Al-Qaeda.

The provincial official said Apache helicopters also hit a school, a mosque and a medical facility which were all used by Al-Qaeda militants.

AQAP said in a statement that 30 people died in the raid -- &quot;only women and children... with some tribal leaders who have no connections&quot; to the group.

The conflict in Yemen escalated two years ago when a Saudi-led Arab coalition launched air raids against Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels, who had taken over the capital and seized swathes of the country&#39;s centre and north.

The war has allowed both AQAP and IS jihadists to gain ground in the impoverished nation.

The United Nations estimates over three million people have been displaced since fighting between the Huthis and pro-government forces broke out in 2014. &nbsp;

The Arab world&#39;s poorest country now faces a major humanitarian crisis, with one and a half million children suffering severe malnutrition.&nbsp;

 
(AFP)

The think-tank warned that strikes like the January 29 raid could increase fear of or even hostility towards the US?among civilians

Al-Qaeda is gaining ground in Yemen and could benefit from military actions like the deadly raid by elite US forces ordered by President Donald Trump, the International Crisis Group warned Thursday. "The Yemeni branch of Al-Qaeda is stronger than it has ever been," ICG said in a report documenting the spread of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). "The first military actions by the Trump administration in Yemen bode poorly for the prospect of smartly and effectively countering AQAP," read the report, released after Sunday's US air raid in central Yemen. While Washington has said at least 14 suspected jihadists and one US Navy SEAL were killed in the strike, ICG said the death toll included "many civilians, including at least 10 women and children". The think-tank warned that strikes like the January 29 raid on Baida province could increase fear of or even hostility towards the United States among civilians, providing fertile ground for recruitment by AQAP. "The use of US soldiers, high civilian casualties and disregard for local tribal and political dynamics... plays into AQAP's narrative of defending Muslims against the West and could increase anti-US sentiment and with it AQAP's pool of recruits," said the Brussels-based ICG. With its key role in regional politics, Trump's White House also stands to impact efforts to find a political solution to Yemen's conflict which has killed more than 7,400 people since March 2015, according to the World Health Organisation. "These efforts will be imperilled if states interested in fighting AQAP and Yemen's nascent Islamic State (IS) branch, such as the US, take military actions that ignore the local context... or fail to restrain partners who tolerate or even encourage AQAP/IS activities," added the 35-page report. Saudi Arabia, which intervened militarily two years ago in Yemen to support the government, is a key regional ally of the United States, which regards AQAP as Al-Qaeda's most dangerous branch. The oil-rich Gulf monarchy has been spared Trump's travel ban imposed last Friday targeting nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. Women, children 'among dead' Washington is also facing questions on whether an eight-year-old American girl was killed in the raid. Local sources say the girl was the daughter of senior Al-Qaeda cleric and US citizen Anwar al-Awlaqi, killed in a 2011 US drone strike. Under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, the US dramatically increased its use of drone strikes against suspected jihadists in Yemen. The Pentagon said Monday that "a lot of female combatants" were caught up in Sunday's battle. Women were among the fatalities, it said, declining to specify whether children were also killed. The death toll was still being evaluated, it said. On the ground, a Yemeni provincial official gave a toll of 41 suspected militants and 16 civilians killed, eight of them women and eight children. The US raid was said to have targeted the houses of three tribal chiefs linked to Al-Qaeda. The provincial official said Apache helicopters also hit a school, a mosque and a medical facility which were all used by Al-Qaeda militants. AQAP said in a statement that 30 people died in the raid -- "only women and children... with some tribal leaders who have no connections" to the group. The conflict in Yemen escalated two years ago when a Saudi-led Arab coalition launched air raids against Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels, who had taken over the capital and seized swathes of the country's centre and north. The war has allowed both AQAP and IS jihadists to gain ground in the impoverished nation. The United Nations estimates over three million people have been displaced since fighting between the Huthis and pro-government forces broke out in 2014. The Arab world's poorest country now faces a major humanitarian crisis, with one and a half million children suffering severe malnutrition. (AFP)

Al-Qaeda can gain from Trump strikes on Yemen: ICG

Yemeni government forces captured on Monday the port of Mokha as they pushed to oust Houthi rebels from the Red Sea coastline, an AFP journalist said. 
 
An official statement said government forces recaptured the whole city, but a military commander in the field told AFP that loyalists were still fighting the rebels on the southern outskirts of Mokha.

Government forces were combing the port, a journalist accompanying the troops said, almost three weeks after the loyalists launched an offensive against the Shiite insurgents and their allies on Yemen&#39;s southwestern coast.

Forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi launched a vast offensive on January 7 to retake the Dhubab district overlooking the Bab al-Mandab strait, a key maritime route connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Warplanes and Apache attack helicopters from a Saudi-led coalition have been pounding the rebels in support of pro-Hadi forces, military sources said

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Yemen government forces are pushing to oust Houthi rebels from the Red Sea coastline

Yemeni government forces captured on Monday the port of Mokha as they pushed to oust Houthi rebels from the Red Sea coastline, an AFP journalist said. An official statement said government forces recaptured the whole city, but a military commander in the field told AFP that loyalists were still fighting the rebels on the southern outskirts of Mokha. Government forces were combing the port, a journalist accompanying the troops said, almost three weeks after the loyalists launched an offensive against the Shiite insurgents and their allies on Yemen's southwestern coast. Forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi launched a vast offensive on January 7 to retake the Dhubab district overlooking the Bab al-Mandab strait, a key maritime route connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Warplanes and Apache attack helicopters from a Saudi-led coalition have been pounding the rebels in support of pro-Hadi forces, military sources said (AFP)

Yemen government claims to have seized Red Sea port of Mokha

Air strikes and heavy clashes between rebel and pro-government forces in&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;had killed at least 66 people in 24 hours, medics and security sources said Sunday.

Air raids by a Saudi-led coalition and fighting near the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait killed at least 52 fighters among Shiite Huthi rebels and allied troops loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, the sources said.&nbsp;

Fourteen members of pro-government forces were also killed.

The rebels took their dead to a military hospital in Hodeida, a major western port city they control, a medical source told AFP.

The hospital received 14 dead on Saturday and 38 on Sunday, as well as 55 wounded rebels, the source said.

On the pro-government side, 14 soldiers were killed and 22 wounded, according to medics in the southern port city of Aden where President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi&#39;s government is based.

Coalition warplanes and Apache attack helicopters have been pounding rebels for several days in support of pro-Hadi forces attempting to retake the Red Sea city of Mokha, military sources said.&nbsp;

Pro-Hadi forces launched the vast offensive on January 7 to retake the region overlooking the Bab al-Mandab strait, a key maritime route connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

By Sunday, loyalist forces were within 10 kilometres (six miles) of Mokha, they said, but the offensive has been slowed by mines laid by rebel forces.

(AFP)

Coalition warplanes and Apache attack helicopters have been pounding rebels for several days in support of pro-Hadi forces

Air strikes and heavy clashes between rebel and pro-government forces in Yemen had killed at least 66 people in 24 hours, medics and security sources said Sunday. Air raids by a Saudi-led coalition and fighting near the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait killed at least 52 fighters among Shiite Huthi rebels and allied troops loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, the sources said. Fourteen members of pro-government forces were also killed. The rebels took their dead to a military hospital in Hodeida, a major western port city they control, a medical source told AFP. The hospital received 14 dead on Saturday and 38 on Sunday, as well as 55 wounded rebels, the source said. On the pro-government side, 14 soldiers were killed and 22 wounded, according to medics in the southern port city of Aden where President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's government is based. Coalition warplanes and Apache attack helicopters have been pounding rebels for several days in support of pro-Hadi forces attempting to retake the Red Sea city of Mokha, military sources said. Pro-Hadi forces launched the vast offensive on January 7 to retake the region overlooking the Bab al-Mandab strait, a key maritime route connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. By Sunday, loyalist forces were within 10 kilometres (six miles) of Mokha, they said, but the offensive has been slowed by mines laid by rebel forces. (AFP)

Nearly 70 killed in Yemen air strikes, clashes in last 24 hours

As the old saying goes, only once we have hit rock bottom can we rehabilitate ourselves. Usually the preserve of the individual, this saying can also been applied to countries in distress. And perhaps no more so than the complicated Yemen.

Located on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen is surrounded by wealth, of which it has none, whilst also being situated in a dangerous neighbourhood means Yemen isn&rsquo;t exactly on the rise right now. The Middle East is locked in a battle for hegemony between a Shia-dominated Iran and a Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia. Most notably, this battle is being played out in Syria, with the&nbsp;general consensus being that the Saudis are aligned with the losing team.

But Yemen, too, has&nbsp;become an arena for this battle of Islamic ideology. And like Syria, both sides of the wider conflict have stakes involved. For nearly two years, Saudi Arabia has led a coalition of Sunni states against a ragtag Shia rebel group called the Houthis. Though Zaidi Shia, the Houthis took control of the country from the legitimate government of Yemen and are allegedly supported by Iran.

IS YEMEN ON THE BRINK?

Yemen has always been relatively poor in financial terms and slightly out of place in a region associated with oil money. Most importantly, the Saudis have always perceived Yemen as a backwater that they control. Accordingly, even at the suggestion of a threat of an Iranian-backed takeover of the country, the Saudis leaped into action.

However, their success has been limited. The Saudis continue bombing Yemen and the Houthis continue holding most of the country, including the capital Sanaa. In the midst of this political to-and-fro, Yemen&rsquo;s basic infrastructure has been ravaged and half of the population is <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/08/300000-children-hungry-yemen-160803074103029.html">now starving to death</a>.

Commentators have long muffled of how Yemen was &ldquo;on the brink,&rdquo; crisis after crisis, whether it be Al-Qaeda in the early 2000s or the Arab Spring in 2011. Yet now there is a stark realisation among Yemenis that the country has firmly fallen. There is no longer any talk of a brink, or an edge, or any other idiom that reflects a crucial moment in the downfall of a state

By all accounts, 2016 was a terrible year for Yemen. New lows were reached starting as early as March, and even the country&rsquo;s central bank finally gave up its peacetime pretense by November. To borrow another overused metaphor, it is fair to say that Yemen is firmly down the rabbit hole.

It is likely that 2017 will prove to be even more of a divisive year. The Saudis appear to be showing no signs of stopping, and it would be a just assessment to say that they are committed to securing Yemen at all costs.

The Houthis and their ally, former strongman President Ali Abdullah Saleh, have little to&nbsp;lose personally for continuing their resistance. Political efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement under United Nations patronage have failed, meaning that their defeat in the conflict will more than likely signal the end of the road for their political ambitions at the least, and perhaps their continued existence at the worst.

Faced with such circumstances, the Houthis are likely to adopt a fight or die mentality in 2017. This is likely to take hold even more strongly as the rebels and their allies run low in funding and weaponry. Assuming there is merit in the alleged Houthi-Iran alliance&mdash;of which little evidence to substantiate&nbsp;it has surfaced&mdash;it is unlikely that Tehran will be able to save their brethren. This is because any effort by Tehran will need to overcome significant logistical barriers, as it must try to find a means of transporting arms to Yemen, which is nearly 2,000 km away and subject to a Saudi naval blockade.

However, the Saudis also face challenges. Coalition airstrikes have raised concerns over the breach of international law. These concerns have been heard by their Western sponsors, primarily the United States and Britain. In exchange for a continued supply of arms, Washington and London are now demanding greater accuracy in bombing&nbsp;targets and more transparency in aftermath reporting by the Saudis.

LOOKING TO COLOMBIA PERHAPS?

All in all, whichever way the conflict goes, the picture does not bode well for civilians. In this regard, perhaps Yemenis may take some solace in knowing that once rock bottom has been reached, the country can only rise.

The example of Colombia, which not so long ago was a crime-ridden country famous for drugs and murder, is a useful reminder. Over the past 20 years, Colombia&rsquo;s murder rate has fallen by 60%, its inflation has dropped by 87% and unemployment has gone down by half. While foreign direct investment reaches $15 billion annually and the government&rsquo;s borrowing deficit has fallen to only 2% of gross domestic product (GDP).

If Columbians were able to rehabilitate their country once it hits rock bottom, Yemenis could do the same in 2017.

&nbsp;

(Courtesy: Fair Observer)

Yemen has to rise up from the nadir it has reached

As the old saying goes, only once we have hit rock bottom can we rehabilitate ourselves. Usually the preserve of the individual, this saying can also been applied to countries in distress. And perhaps no more so than the complicated Yemen. Located on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen is surrounded by wealth, of which it has none, whilst also being situated in a dangerous neighbourhood means Yemen isn’t exactly on the rise right now. The Middle East is locked in a battle for hegemony between a Shia-dominated Iran and a Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia. Most notably, this battle is being played out in Syria, with the general consensus being that the Saudis are aligned with the losing team. But Yemen, too, has become an arena for this battle of Islamic ideology. And like Syria, both sides of the wider conflict have stakes involved. For nearly two years, Saudi Arabia has led a coalition of Sunni states against a ragtag Shia rebel group called the Houthis. Though Zaidi Shia, the Houthis took control of the country from the legitimate government of Yemen and are allegedly supported by Iran. IS YEMEN ON THE BRINK? Yemen has always been relatively poor in financial terms and slightly out of place in a region associated with oil money. Most importantly, the Saudis have always perceived Yemen as a backwater that they control. Accordingly, even at the suggestion of a threat of an Iranian-backed takeover of the country, the Saudis leaped into action. However, their success has been limited. The Saudis continue bombing Yemen and the Houthis continue holding most of the country, including the capital Sanaa. In the midst of this political to-and-fro, Yemen’s basic infrastructure has been ravaged and half of the population is now starving to death. Commentators have long muffled of how Yemen was “on the brink,” crisis after crisis, whether it be Al-Qaeda in the early 2000s or the Arab Spring in 2011. Yet now there is a stark realisation among Yemenis that the country has firmly fallen. There is no longer any talk of a brink, or an edge, or any other idiom that reflects a crucial moment in the downfall of a state By all accounts, 2016 was a terrible year for Yemen. New lows were reached starting as early as March, and even the country’s central bank finally gave up its peacetime pretense by November. To borrow another overused metaphor, it is fair to say that Yemen is firmly down the rabbit hole. It is likely that 2017 will prove to be even more of a divisive year. The Saudis appear to be showing no signs of stopping, and it would be a just assessment to say that they are committed to securing Yemen at all costs. The Houthis and their ally, former strongman President Ali Abdullah Saleh, have little to lose personally for continuing their resistance. Political efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement under United Nations patronage have failed, meaning that their defeat in the conflict will more than likely signal the end of the road for their political ambitions at the least, and perhaps their continued existence at the worst. Faced with such circumstances, the Houthis are likely to adopt a fight or die mentality in 2017. This is likely to take hold even more strongly as the rebels and their allies run low in funding and weaponry. Assuming there is merit in the alleged Houthi-Iran alliance—of which little evidence to substantiate it has surfaced—it is unlikely that Tehran will be able to save their brethren. This is because any effort by Tehran will need to overcome significant logistical barriers, as it must try to find a means of transporting arms to Yemen, which is nearly 2,000 km away and subject to a Saudi naval blockade. However, the Saudis also face challenges. Coalition airstrikes have raised concerns over the breach of international law. These concerns have been heard by their Western sponsors, primarily the United States and Britain. In exchange for a continued supply of arms, Washington and London are now demanding greater accuracy in bombing targets and more transparency in aftermath reporting by the Saudis. LOOKING TO COLOMBIA PERHAPS? All in all, whichever way the conflict goes, the picture does not bode well for civilians. In this regard, perhaps Yemenis may take some solace in knowing that once rock bottom has been reached, the country can only rise. The example of Colombia, which not so long ago was a crime-ridden country famous for drugs and murder, is a useful reminder. Over the past 20 years, Colombia’s murder rate has fallen by 60%, its inflation has dropped by 87% and unemployment has gone down by half. While foreign direct investment reaches $15 billion annually and the government’s borrowing deficit has fallen to only 2% of gross domestic product (GDP). If Columbians were able to rehabilitate their country once it hits rock bottom, Yemenis could do the same in 2017. (Courtesy: Fair Observer)

What lies ahead for Yemen in 2017

A passenger ship carrying more than 60 passengers, including women and children, sank while sailing to Socotra island in the Indian Ocean from Hadramout province in mainland Yemen, shipping sources said on Wednesday.

They said rescue teams had managed to pull at least five passengers from the vessel, which was sailing from the Hadramout provincial capital, Mukalla, when it sank northwest of Socotra with 64 people on board. The fate of the rest of the passengers, or what caused the ship to sink, was not known.

The Yemeni fisheries minister, Fahad Kaffen, appealed to the Saudi-led Arab alliance, which maintains a naval presence in the area, to help with search and rescue efforts.

Socotra and Hadramout province are under the control of the Yemeni government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, which is locked in a war with Iran-aligned Houthis who control most of northern Yemen.

The Aden al-Ghad news website quoted a source in the coast guard as saying they had received a notice from authorities in Hadramout on Tuesday night saying contact with the ship had been lost several hours after it sailed from Mukalla.

The website said the ship was believed to have suffered some kind of accident and that the fate of the passengers was still not clear.

(Reuters)

The fate of the rest of the passengers, or what caused the ship to sink, is not known

A passenger ship carrying more than 60 passengers, including women and children, sank while sailing to Socotra island in the Indian Ocean from Hadramout province in mainland Yemen, shipping sources said on Wednesday. They said rescue teams had managed to pull at least five passengers from the vessel, which was sailing from the Hadramout provincial capital, Mukalla, when it sank northwest of Socotra with 64 people on board. The fate of the rest of the passengers, or what caused the ship to sink, was not known. The Yemeni fisheries minister, Fahad Kaffen, appealed to the Saudi-led Arab alliance, which maintains a naval presence in the area, to help with search and rescue efforts. Socotra and Hadramout province are under the control of the Yemeni government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, which is locked in a war with Iran-aligned Houthis who control most of northern Yemen. The Aden al-Ghad news website quoted a source in the coast guard as saying they had received a notice from authorities in Hadramout on Tuesday night saying contact with the ship had been lost several hours after it sailed from Mukalla. The website said the ship was believed to have suffered some kind of accident and that the fate of the passengers was still not clear. (Reuters)

Passenger ship carrying more than 60 sinks off Yemen coast

Yemeni troops loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi&#39;s government killed at least 30 suspected al Qaeda militants in a raid backed by a Saudi-led military coalition in the southeast of the country.&nbsp;

The 24-hour operation that ended Wednesday had struck an Al-Qaeda hideout west of the port city of Mukalla, the Yemeni military said. Several others were captured by the army.

Four Yemeni troops were also killed and 12 were wounded in the fighting, it added.

The army accused the jihadists of &quot;planning terrorist attacks&quot; in the country, already torn apart by the 19-month long conflict between Iran-backed rebels and government forces supported by the coalition troops.&nbsp;

A security official told AFP on Tuesday that troops launched a &quot;preemptive operation&quot; against the extremists, who continued to pose a threat to Mukalla.

Mukalla was the most populous Yemeni city under Al-Qaeda control until government troops and coalition special forces recaptured it in April, ending a year of jihadist rule.

But the jihadists regrouped in the surrounding mountains from where they have carried out a series of deadly revenge attacks.

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The troops launched a 'preemptive operation' against the extremists, who continue to pose a threat to Mukalla

Yemeni troops loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government killed at least 30 suspected al Qaeda militants in a raid backed by a Saudi-led military coalition in the southeast of the country. The 24-hour operation that ended Wednesday had struck an Al-Qaeda hideout west of the port city of Mukalla, the Yemeni military said. Several others were captured by the army. Four Yemeni troops were also killed and 12 were wounded in the fighting, it added. The army accused the jihadists of "planning terrorist attacks" in the country, already torn apart by the 19-month long conflict between Iran-backed rebels and government forces supported by the coalition troops. A security official told AFP on Tuesday that troops launched a "preemptive operation" against the extremists, who continued to pose a threat to Mukalla. Mukalla was the most populous Yemeni city under Al-Qaeda control until government troops and coalition special forces recaptured it in April, ending a year of jihadist rule. But the jihadists regrouped in the surrounding mountains from where they have carried out a series of deadly revenge attacks. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Yemen army kills 30 Al-Qaeda suspects in port city of Mukalla

Amid rising tensions with Yemen&#39;s Houthi rebels, multiple missiles were fired on Saturday at three US warships in the Red Sea, though none was hit and there were no casualties, the US military was quoted as saying by international agency AFP.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It was unclear how many of the surface-to-surface missiles were fired at the USS Mason, USS Nitze and USS Ponce, a US defence official said adding that &nbsp;the altercation took place starting around 1930 GMT.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;We are aware of the reports and we are assessing the situation. All of our ships and crews are safe and unharmed,&quot; another US defence official said in an apparently cautious reaction.

&nbsp;

According to AFP, once confirmed, &nbsp;the attempted missile strikes would be the most serious escalation yet of America&#39;s involvement in a deadly civil war that has killed more than 6,800 people, wounded more than 35,000 and displaced at least three million since a Saudi-led coalition launched military operations last year.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pertinently, the rockets fired at the USS Mason on Sunday and again Wednesday were believed to be the first time since 1987 that a US warship has been targeted by an incoming missile.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The US Navy launched five Tomahawk cruise missiles as retaliatory fire at three mobile radar sites in Huthi-controlled territory in Yemen

Amid rising tensions with Yemen's Houthi rebels, multiple missiles were fired on Saturday at three US warships in the Red Sea, though none was hit and there were no casualties, the US military was quoted as saying by international agency AFP. It was unclear how many of the surface-to-surface missiles were fired at the USS Mason, USS Nitze and USS Ponce, a US defence official said adding that the altercation took place starting around 1930 GMT. "We are aware of the reports and we are assessing the situation. All of our ships and crews are safe and unharmed," another US defence official said in an apparently cautious reaction. According to AFP, once confirmed, the attempted missile strikes would be the most serious escalation yet of America's involvement in a deadly civil war that has killed more than 6,800 people, wounded more than 35,000 and displaced at least three million since a Saudi-led coalition launched military operations last year. Pertinently, the rockets fired at the USS Mason on Sunday and again Wednesday were believed to be the first time since 1987 that a US warship has been targeted by an incoming missile. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Missiles fired at US warships in Red Sea, no casualties: US

Iran today requested help from the UN to send a plane to Yemen to evacuate the wounded from Saturday&rsquo;s deadly air strike on a funeral ceremony.

The country&rsquo;s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expressed &quot;shock and indignation&quot; over the air strikes in Sanaa, AFP reported.

&quot;In view of the gravity of the situation in Yemen and the devastation caused by the attacks against the funeral hall, the Iranian Red Crescent Society is proposing to arrange for humanitarian assistance, including medical supplies, to the Yemeni people and evacuating the injured to hospitals in Iran,&quot; Zarif wrote in a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, AFP reported.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels have blamed the Saudi-led coalition for the attack that killed more than 140 mourners and injured over 525.

&quot;Not only Saudi Arabia, but also those who have supported the aggression by the Saudi-led coalition against Yemeni people should be held accountable for the war crimes perpetrated in Yemen over the past year and a half,&quot; Zarif wrote, AFP reported.

Ban earlier condemned the attack and called for an investigation of the air strikes.

Canada has also called for a prompt investigation into the air strikes, that are one of the deadliest since the Saudi-led coalition launched a military campaign against the Shiite insurgents in March 2015.

&ldquo;The Saudi-led coalition must move forward now on its commitment to investigate this incident,&quot; Canadian foreign minister Stephane Dion said in a statement condemning the attack, AFP reported.

&quot;Canada calls on all parties in Yemen to avoid an escalation of violence as a result of this incident.&quot;

Dion said. &quot;Canada urges all parties to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law, and to commit to political dialogue and to a lasting cessation of hostilities to halt the tragic loss of civilian life.&quot;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The Iranian foreign minister has written to the UN chief requesting a plane for evacuation of the wounded

Iran today requested help from the UN to send a plane to Yemen to evacuate the wounded from Saturday’s deadly air strike on a funeral ceremony. The country’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expressed "shock and indignation" over the air strikes in Sanaa, AFP reported. "In view of the gravity of the situation in Yemen and the devastation caused by the attacks against the funeral hall, the Iranian Red Crescent Society is proposing to arrange for humanitarian assistance, including medical supplies, to the Yemeni people and evacuating the injured to hospitals in Iran," Zarif wrote in a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, AFP reported. Iran-backed Houthi rebels have blamed the Saudi-led coalition for the attack that killed more than 140 mourners and injured over 525. "Not only Saudi Arabia, but also those who have supported the aggression by the Saudi-led coalition against Yemeni people should be held accountable for the war crimes perpetrated in Yemen over the past year and a half," Zarif wrote, AFP reported. Ban earlier condemned the attack and called for an investigation of the air strikes. Canada has also called for a prompt investigation into the air strikes, that are one of the deadliest since the Saudi-led coalition launched a military campaign against the Shiite insurgents in March 2015. “The Saudi-led coalition must move forward now on its commitment to investigate this incident," Canadian foreign minister Stephane Dion said in a statement condemning the attack, AFP reported. "Canada calls on all parties in Yemen to avoid an escalation of violence as a result of this incident." Dion said. "Canada urges all parties to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law, and to commit to political dialogue and to a lasting cessation of hostilities to halt the tragic loss of civilian life." (WION with inputs from AFP)

Iran offers to treat wounded from Yemen funeral airstrike, Canada demands probe

More than 140 people were killed and more than 525 injured on Saturday in air strikes on a funeral ceremony in Yemen, a United Nations official said told AFP &nbsp;with Houthi rebels blaming the attack on the Saudi-led coalition.

The UN humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, said aid workers were &quot;shocked and outraged&quot; by the attacks that hit a community hall in the capital Sanaa where mourners had gathered, AFP reported.

The UN aid official has called for an immediate investigation and said the international community must exert pressure to ensure civilians are protected.

&quot;This violence against civilians in Yemen must stop immediately,&quot; said McGoldrick.

Saturday&rsquo;s strike was one of the deadliest attacks since the bombing campaign began in support of Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

In a statement to AFP, the Saudi-led coalition said it had no operations at the location and &quot;other causes&quot; for the incident must be considered.

The coalition &quot;has in the past avoided such gatherings and (they) have never been a subject of targeting,&quot; it said.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Houthi rebels have blamed the Saudi-led coalition for the attack

More than 140 people were killed and more than 525 injured on Saturday in air strikes on a funeral ceremony in Yemen, a United Nations official said told AFP with Houthi rebels blaming the attack on the Saudi-led coalition. The UN humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, said aid workers were "shocked and outraged" by the attacks that hit a community hall in the capital Sanaa where mourners had gathered, AFP reported. The UN aid official has called for an immediate investigation and said the international community must exert pressure to ensure civilians are protected. "This violence against civilians in Yemen must stop immediately," said McGoldrick. Saturday’s strike was one of the deadliest attacks since the bombing campaign began in support of Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. In a statement to AFP, the Saudi-led coalition said it had no operations at the location and "other causes" for the incident must be considered. The coalition "has in the past avoided such gatherings and (they) have never been a subject of targeting," it said. (WION with inputs from AFP)

More than 140 killed in air strikes on funeral ceremony in Yemen: UN

Houthi rebels in control of the Yemeni capital of Sana&#39;a have accused the Saudi-led coalition fighting against them of killing dozens and wounding hundreds in air strikes during a funeral on Saturday attended by senior officials.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Reuters has quoted the acting health minister in the Houthi-led administration saying that at least 82 people have died and 534 were wounded.&nbsp;

Rebel Almasirah television reported that Sana&#39;a mayor Abdel Qader Hilal was among those killed.&nbsp;

According to AFP, emergency workers have pulled out at least 20 charred remains and body parts from the gutted building and the search is on for more survivors.

The bodies were either completely burned or in pieces, and some of the wounded had their legs torn off and were being treated on the spot by volunteers, AFP reported.

The rebel-controlled news site&nbsp;sabanews.net&nbsp;said that the coalition jets hit a building in southern Sana&#39;a where hundreds were mourning the death of the father of an influential local official.

The airstrikes have come in at a time when Saudi Arabia is under increasing international scrutiny over allegations of civilian deaths in it&rsquo;s air raids.

&quot;A plane fired a missile and minutes later another plane pounded the building,&quot; an eyewitness told AFP.

A security source, quoted by the rebel website, said a fire tore through the building after the strikes.

According to Reuters, eyewitnesses described ambulances ferrying casualties from the scene, where a plume of black smoke rose into the sky.&nbsp;

The Iran-backed Houthis swept into Sana&#39;a in September 2014 and advanced across much of Yemen, forcing the internationally recognised government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee the capital

According to the UN, more than 6,700 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in Yemen since the coalition intervened in support of Hadi.

 
&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

Houthi rebels claim that the mayor of the Yemeni capital was among those killed and around 534 people were wounded

Houthi rebels in control of the Yemeni capital of Sana'a have accused the Saudi-led coalition fighting against them of killing dozens and wounding hundreds in air strikes during a funeral on Saturday attended by senior officials. Reuters has quoted the acting health minister in the Houthi-led administration saying that at least 82 people have died and 534 were wounded. Rebel Almasirah television reported that Sana'a mayor Abdel Qader Hilal was among those killed. According to AFP, emergency workers have pulled out at least 20 charred remains and body parts from the gutted building and the search is on for more survivors. The bodies were either completely burned or in pieces, and some of the wounded had their legs torn off and were being treated on the spot by volunteers, AFP reported. The rebel-controlled news site sabanews.net said that the coalition jets hit a building in southern Sana'a where hundreds were mourning the death of the father of an influential local official. The airstrikes have come in at a time when Saudi Arabia is under increasing international scrutiny over allegations of civilian deaths in it’s air raids. "A plane fired a missile and minutes later another plane pounded the building," an eyewitness told AFP. A security source, quoted by the rebel website, said a fire tore through the building after the strikes. According to Reuters, eyewitnesses described ambulances ferrying casualties from the scene, where a plume of black smoke rose into the sky. The Iran-backed Houthis swept into Sana'a in September 2014 and advanced across much of Yemen, forcing the internationally recognised government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee the capital According to the UN, more than 6,700 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in Yemen since the coalition intervened in support of Hadi. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Yemen: Saudi-led air strikes on funeral 'kill 82' in Sanaa

Yemeni rebels on Saturday claimed that they had hit a vessel operated by the Emirati military, a part of a Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen&#39;s government.

The UAE military said that its boat was involved in an &quot;accident&quot; in the Bab al-Mandab strait and there were no casualties, according to an AFP report.

&quot;Rockets targeted an Emirati warship as it approached the coast of Mokha&quot; on the Red Sea, the Iran-backed Huthi rebels said in a statement on their website.

An official statement from the Emirati military said that the boat was on a routine trip from Aden, further south, and that an investigation has begun.

The UAE is a member of the coalition fighting Iran-backed Huthi rebels and their allies since March last year.

The rebels control nearly all of the country&#39;s Red Sea coast as well as some territory around capital Sanaa.

Pro-government forces on Saturday recaptured large parts of the town of Ghail after clashes that killed 11 rebels, military sources said.

Forces recaptured Perim island in the Bab al-Mandab strait in October last year thus gaining control over the strategic shipping lane connecting the Suez Canal and Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

The rebels shelled a loyalist military camp in the Bab al-Mandab area on Saturday, AFP reported.

More than 6,700 people, including civilians, have been killed in the Yemeni conflict since the coalition began its air campaign in March 2015, according to the United Nations.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The UAE military said that a boat under its command was involved in an "incident" in the Bab al-Mandab strait

Yemeni rebels on Saturday claimed that they had hit a vessel operated by the Emirati military, a part of a Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's government. The UAE military said that its boat was involved in an "accident" in the Bab al-Mandab strait and there were no casualties, according to an AFP report. "Rockets targeted an Emirati warship as it approached the coast of Mokha" on the Red Sea, the Iran-backed Huthi rebels said in a statement on their website. An official statement from the Emirati military said that the boat was on a routine trip from Aden, further south, and that an investigation has begun. The UAE is a member of the coalition fighting Iran-backed Huthi rebels and their allies since March last year. The rebels control nearly all of the country's Red Sea coast as well as some territory around capital Sanaa. Pro-government forces on Saturday recaptured large parts of the town of Ghail after clashes that killed 11 rebels, military sources said. Forces recaptured Perim island in the Bab al-Mandab strait in October last year thus gaining control over the strategic shipping lane connecting the Suez Canal and Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. The rebels shelled a loyalist military camp in the Bab al-Mandab area on Saturday, AFP reported. More than 6,700 people, including civilians, have been killed in the Yemeni conflict since the coalition began its air campaign in March 2015, according to the United Nations. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Yemen rebels claim attack on UAE military vessel

At least 71 people were killed in a suicide car bombing at an army recruitment centre in the Yemeni port city of Aden today. The Islamic State group claimed the attack in a statement carried by Amaq news agency 
 
The suicide bomber drove the explosive-laden car into the locked militia compound of army recruits when the gate was opened for a delivery vehicle, the security officials told AFP news agency. 
 
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) hospital in Aden earlier reported to have received 45 dead and at least 60 wounded, MSF international said on Twitter. 
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/MSF">@MSF</a> Hospital in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Aden?src=hash">#Aden</a> received 45 dead and at least 60 wounded from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Aug29?src=hash">#Aug29</a> morning explosion <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Yemen?src=hash">#Yemen</a> <a href="https://t.co/yL63JxmaSv">pic.twitter.com/yL63JxmaSv</a>
&mdash; ????? ??? ????-????? (@msf_yemen) <a href="https://twitter.com/msf_yemen/status/770165821377314816">August 29, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
 
Yemen`s army, supported by a Saudi-led coalition, is training young recruits to join its nationwide war against Shiite Huthi rebels and their allies, as well as Sunni jihadists, the AFP report underlined. 
 
Aden is the temporary base of Yemen&#39;s internationally recognised government, which was forced into exile after Iran-backed insurgents seized Sanaa and other parts of the war-torn country, the report further said. 
 
Witnesses said some recruits were buried when a roof collapsed over them following the blast, which also damaged buildings close to the centre. 
 
There was no verification if all those killed were recruits. 
 
The director general of Yemen&#39;s health ministry in Aden, al-Khader Laswar said at least 67 other people were wounded in the attack in the city&#39;s Mansoura district, Reuters reported.
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<h5>More than 6,600 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since March 2015 and more than 80 per cent of the population has been left in need of humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations.</h5>
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<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=More than 6,600 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since March 2015 and more than 80 per cent of the population has been left in need of humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations. " target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
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There have been a number of bombings and shooting targeting officals and security forces in Aden. Jihadists from either Al-Qaeda or IS have often claimed attacks in the port city. 
 
Over the past two months, hundreds of soldiers have been trained by Yemeni authorities as part of operations of retake the neighbouring south provinces. Their war against jihadists has also been supported by the Arab coalition through troops and air cover. The coalition helped government troops in March last year in pushing the rebels out of Aden and four other southern provinces. 
 
More than 6,600 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since March 2015 and more than 80 per cent of the population has been left in need of humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

The attacker drove the explosive-laden car into the army recruitment centre when its gate opened for a delivery vehicle

At least 71 people were killed in a suicide car bombing at an army recruitment centre in the Yemeni port city of Aden today. The Islamic State group claimed the attack in a statement carried by Amaq news agency The suicide bomber drove the explosive-laden car into the locked militia compound of army recruits when the gate was opened for a delivery vehicle, the security officials told AFP news agency. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) hospital in Aden earlier reported to have received 45 dead and at least 60 wounded, MSF international said on Twitter. .@MSF Hospital in #Aden received 45 dead and at least 60 wounded from #Aug29 morning explosion #Yemen pic.twitter.com/yL63JxmaSv — ????? ??? ????-????? (@msf_yemen) August 29, 2016 Yemen`s army, supported by a Saudi-led coalition, is training young recruits to join its nationwide war against Shiite Huthi rebels and their allies, as well as Sunni jihadists, the AFP report underlined. Aden is the temporary base of Yemen's internationally recognised government, which was forced into exile after Iran-backed insurgents seized Sanaa and other parts of the war-torn country, the report further said. Witnesses said some recruits were buried when a roof collapsed over them following the blast, which also damaged buildings close to the centre. There was no verification if all those killed were recruits. The director general of Yemen's health ministry in Aden, al-Khader Laswar said at least 67 other people were wounded in the attack in the city's Mansoura district, Reuters reported. More than 6,600 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since March 2015 and more than 80 per cent of the population has been left in need of humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations. There have been a number of bombings and shooting targeting officals and security forces in Aden. Jihadists from either Al-Qaeda or IS have often claimed attacks in the port city. Over the past two months, hundreds of soldiers have been trained by Yemeni authorities as part of operations of retake the neighbouring south provinces. Their war against jihadists has also been supported by the Arab coalition through troops and air cover. The coalition helped government troops in March last year in pushing the rebels out of Aden and four other southern provinces. More than 6,600 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since March 2015 and more than 80 per cent of the population has been left in need of humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations. (WION with inputs from agencies)

IS-claimed suicide bombing kills at least 71 in Yemen's Aden

Yemeni government negotiators said they were leaving peace talks in Kuwait on Monday after Houthi militia foes rejected a United Nations proposal aimed to ending their country&#39;s war. 
 
Foreign Minister Abdel-Malek al-Mekhlafi insisted the government was not abandoning the peace process, but suggested it would only return if the Houthis and a powerful local ally lifted their objections to the UN plan. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve agreed to the initiative ... we are now leaving the territory of the brotherly state of Kuwait but we&#39;re not leaving the talks,&quot; Mekhlafi said while announcing the move. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ll return at any moment, even an hour after our departure, if the other side agrees to sign this document which the (U.N.) envoy presented.&quot; 
 
UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed proposed that the government&#39;s foes in the armed Houthi movement quit three main cities they hold, including the capital Sanaa. Under this plan, new talks would then be convened on forming a government that would include the Houthis, delegates said. 
 
The envoy said in a statement the talks would continue. &quot;The departure of the Government of Yemen delegation from Kuwait is not a departure from the Peace Talks,&quot; Ould Cheikh Ahmed said. 
 
&quot;We agreed with the parties to keep the talks ongoing until we agree on next steps in the coming days which shall be dedicated to intensive meetings&quot; with the government&#39;s foes as well as international diplomats, he said. 
 
The Houthis dismissed the UN proposal as a non-starter on Sunday, saying in a statement that any agreement would need to be comprehensive and not postpone a resolution on major issues. 
 
They said they would stay in Kuwait for the talks. 
 
The negotiations started in April have slowed the nationwide fighting that has killed at least 6,400 people and caused one of the world&#39;s worst humanitarian crises. 
 
(Reuters)

The United Nations proposed that government's foes in the armed Houthi movement quit three main cities they hold, including capital Sanaa

Yemeni government negotiators said they were leaving peace talks in Kuwait on Monday after Houthi militia foes rejected a United Nations proposal aimed to ending their country's war. Foreign Minister Abdel-Malek al-Mekhlafi insisted the government was not abandoning the peace process, but suggested it would only return if the Houthis and a powerful local ally lifted their objections to the UN plan. "We've agreed to the initiative ... we are now leaving the territory of the brotherly state of Kuwait but we're not leaving the talks," Mekhlafi said while announcing the move. "We'll return at any moment, even an hour after our departure, if the other side agrees to sign this document which the (U.N.) envoy presented." UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed proposed that the government's foes in the armed Houthi movement quit three main cities they hold, including the capital Sanaa. Under this plan, new talks would then be convened on forming a government that would include the Houthis, delegates said. The envoy said in a statement the talks would continue. "The departure of the Government of Yemen delegation from Kuwait is not a departure from the Peace Talks," Ould Cheikh Ahmed said. "We agreed with the parties to keep the talks ongoing until we agree on next steps in the coming days which shall be dedicated to intensive meetings" with the government's foes as well as international diplomats, he said. The Houthis dismissed the UN proposal as a non-starter on Sunday, saying in a statement that any agreement would need to be comprehensive and not postpone a resolution on major issues. They said they would stay in Kuwait for the talks. The negotiations started in April have slowed the nationwide fighting that has killed at least 6,400 people and caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. (Reuters)

Yemen government leaves Kuwait talks after Houthis reject UN plan

Saudi Arabia Cross-border shelling from war-torn Yemen killed four people in Saudi Arabia on Monday, authorities in the kingdom said.&nbsp;Three others were wounded and hospitalised after the incident in the Jazan region, the civil defence agency said on Twitter without giving details. 
 
Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting the Yemeni government in its fight against Iran-backed rebels since March last year.&nbsp;The rebels have in recent days intensified cross-border attacks on the kingdom as peace talks in Kuwait have failed to achieve a breakthrough. 
 
Border clashes left a Saudi army officer and six soldiers dead on Saturday. On July 25, five Saudi border guards were killed in similar clashes.&nbsp;Around 100 members of the Saudi forces and civilians have been killed in skirmishes, by artillery fire or landmines inside the kingdom&#39;s borders, since the coalition launched its campaign. 
 
In Yemen itself, the conflict has killed more than 6,400 people and displaced 2.8 million since March last year, according to UN figures. 
 
(AFP)

The rebels have intensified attacks on the kingdom as peace talks in Kuwait have failed to achieve a breakthrough

Saudi Arabia Cross-border shelling from war-torn Yemen killed four people in Saudi Arabia on Monday, authorities in the kingdom said. Three others were wounded and hospitalised after the incident in the Jazan region, the civil defence agency said on Twitter without giving details. Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting the Yemeni government in its fight against Iran-backed rebels since March last year. The rebels have in recent days intensified cross-border attacks on the kingdom as peace talks in Kuwait have failed to achieve a breakthrough. Border clashes left a Saudi army officer and six soldiers dead on Saturday. On July 25, five Saudi border guards were killed in similar clashes. Around 100 members of the Saudi forces and civilians have been killed in skirmishes, by artillery fire or landmines inside the kingdom's borders, since the coalition launched its campaign. In Yemen itself, the conflict has killed more than 6,400 people and displaced 2.8 million since March last year, according to UN figures. (AFP)

Four dead in Saudi-Yemen cross-border attack

The Yemeni government said today it has accepted a UN-proposed peace agreement to end more than a year of armed conflict, but there has been no word from the rebels. 
 
The announcement by the Saudi-backed government came after a high-level meeting in Kuwait&#39;s capital chaired by Yemen&#39;s President Aberabbo Mansour Hadi. 
 
&quot;The meeting approved the draft agreement presented by the United Nations calling for an end to the armed conflict and the withdrawal (of rebels) from Sanaa... and the cities of Taez and Al-Hudaydah,&quot; said a statement after the meeting, cited by the Saba news agency. 
 
Yemen&#39;s foreign minister Abdulmalek al-Mikhlafi, who is leading the government negotiating team, said he has sent a letter to the UN special envoy informing him the government backed the &#39;Kuwait Agreement&#39;. 
 
One pre-condition, however, is that the Iran-backed Huthis and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh sign the deal by August 7. 
 
There has been no official reaction to the deal by the rebels. Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said on Twitter before the government announcement that the rebels insist on a comprehensive and complete solution, and rejected what he called &quot;half solutions&quot;. 
 
A political dialogue between various Yemeni factions will start 45 days after the rebels withdrawal, according to the government. UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed on Saturday managed to extend the talks for a week after the government delegation said it was leaving, and submitted the peace deal draft to both sides. 
 
The approval also came hours after seven Saudi troops were killed in border clashes with Yemeni rebels. More than 6,400 people have been killed in the Arabian Peninsula state since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in March last year in support of Hadi&#39;s government. 
 
Another 2.8 million people have been displaced and more than 80 per cent of the population urgently needs humanitarian aid, according to UN figures. 
 
(AFP)

One pre-condition is that the Iran-backed Huthis and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh sign the deal by August 7

The Yemeni government said today it has accepted a UN-proposed peace agreement to end more than a year of armed conflict, but there has been no word from the rebels. The announcement by the Saudi-backed government came after a high-level meeting in Kuwait's capital chaired by Yemen's President Aberabbo Mansour Hadi. "The meeting approved the draft agreement presented by the United Nations calling for an end to the armed conflict and the withdrawal (of rebels) from Sanaa... and the cities of Taez and Al-Hudaydah," said a statement after the meeting, cited by the Saba news agency. Yemen's foreign minister Abdulmalek al-Mikhlafi, who is leading the government negotiating team, said he has sent a letter to the UN special envoy informing him the government backed the 'Kuwait Agreement'. One pre-condition, however, is that the Iran-backed Huthis and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh sign the deal by August 7. There has been no official reaction to the deal by the rebels. Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said on Twitter before the government announcement that the rebels insist on a comprehensive and complete solution, and rejected what he called "half solutions". A political dialogue between various Yemeni factions will start 45 days after the rebels withdrawal, according to the government. UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed on Saturday managed to extend the talks for a week after the government delegation said it was leaving, and submitted the peace deal draft to both sides. The approval also came hours after seven Saudi troops were killed in border clashes with Yemeni rebels. More than 6,400 people have been killed in the Arabian Peninsula state since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in March last year in support of Hadi's government. Another 2.8 million people have been displaced and more than 80 per cent of the population urgently needs humanitarian aid, according to UN figures. (AFP)

Yemen government accepts UN peace deal

Warplanes of a Saudi-led coalition bombed Houthi fighters from Yemen seeking to infiltrate Saudi Arabia &nbsp;today, killing tens of Houthi militiamen, security sources said. 
 
The bombing took place on the Yemeni side of the border close to the Saudi city of Najran, they said.&nbsp; 
 
Clashes were also seen in the northwestern Yemeni town of Haradh which borders the kingdom, witnesses said. 
 
The flare-up in fighting was one of the worst since peace talks began in Kuwait in April between Yemen&rsquo;s government and the Houthis to end a 16-month conflict that has left more than 6,400 people dead, nearly half of them civilians, and displaced more than 2.5 million. 
 
A truce that began in April has slowed the momentum of fighting, but violence continues almost daily. 
 
Prospects for progress in the talks dimmed further this week when Houthi rebels and their allies in the political party of a militarily powerful former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, announced they had decided to form a political council to unilaterally rule the country. 
 
Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the United Nations Yemen envoy, said the move gravely violated UN Security Council Resolution 2216, which calls on the Houthis &quot;to refrain from further unilateral actions that could undermine the political transition in Yemen&quot;. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

According to security sources,the bombing took place on the Yemeni side of the border close to the Saudi city of Najran

Warplanes of a Saudi-led coalition bombed Houthi fighters from Yemen seeking to infiltrate Saudi Arabia today, killing tens of Houthi militiamen, security sources said. The bombing took place on the Yemeni side of the border close to the Saudi city of Najran, they said. Clashes were also seen in the northwestern Yemeni town of Haradh which borders the kingdom, witnesses said. The flare-up in fighting was one of the worst since peace talks began in Kuwait in April between Yemen’s government and the Houthis to end a 16-month conflict that has left more than 6,400 people dead, nearly half of them civilians, and displaced more than 2.5 million. A truce that began in April has slowed the momentum of fighting, but violence continues almost daily. Prospects for progress in the talks dimmed further this week when Houthi rebels and their allies in the political party of a militarily powerful former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, announced they had decided to form a political council to unilaterally rule the country. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the United Nations Yemen envoy, said the move gravely violated UN Security Council Resolution 2216, which calls on the Houthis "to refrain from further unilateral actions that could undermine the political transition in Yemen". (Reuters)

Coalition warplanes attack Houthi fighters near Saudi border

Yemen&#39;s government delegation to UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait said it will leave on Saturday, signalling the collapse of four months of UN-brokered negotiations with Shiite Huthi rebels. 
 
&quot;Today (Friday), we are holding some farewell meetings... and the delegation will leave on Saturday,&quot; delegation spokesman Mohammad al-Emrani told AFP. &quot;There can be no more talks after the new coup,&quot; he said referring to the rebels&#39; formation of a supreme political council to run war-torn Yemen. 
 
The Iran-backed Huthi rebels and the General People&#39;s Congress of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh on Thursday jointly announced setting up the 10-member council. 
 
The job of the council would be to &quot;manage state affairs politically, militarily, economically, administratively, socially and in security&quot;, a statement issued by the rebels said. UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the rebels&#39; move &quot;contravenes&quot; their commitment to the peace process and &quot;represents a grave violation&quot; of UN Security Council Resolution 2216 on Yemen&#39;s conflict. 
 
A UN spokesman in Kuwait, however, said Ould Cheikh Ahmed was scheduled to meet with the rebels later on Friday, and with ambassadors of the 18 countries backing the peace process in Yemen. Indirect negotiations held in Kuwait since April have failed to make headway. Most of the discussions focused on the type of the government to run Yemen during a transition period. 
 
&quot;It must be made clear here that it is the Huthi-Saleh alliance that foiled the peace talks in Kuwait. They have shown that they were never serious about a peaceful settlement,&quot; Emrani said. 
 
A top aide to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi said on Thursday that the government considered the peace talks had wound up without agreement. 
 
&quot;The negotiations have completely ended,&quot; said Abdullah al-Olaimi, deputy director of the president&#39;s office and a member of the government delegation. 
 
More than 6,400 people have been killed in Yemen since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of Hadi&#39;s government. Another 2.8 million people have been displaced and more than 80 per cent of the population urgently needs humanitarian aid, according to UN figures. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

The delegation points towards the rebels' formation of a supreme political council to run war-torn Yemen as the reason for exit

Yemen's government delegation to UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait said it will leave on Saturday, signalling the collapse of four months of UN-brokered negotiations with Shiite Huthi rebels. "Today (Friday), we are holding some farewell meetings... and the delegation will leave on Saturday," delegation spokesman Mohammad al-Emrani told AFP. "There can be no more talks after the new coup," he said referring to the rebels' formation of a supreme political council to run war-torn Yemen. The Iran-backed Huthi rebels and the General People's Congress of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh on Thursday jointly announced setting up the 10-member council. The job of the council would be to "manage state affairs politically, militarily, economically, administratively, socially and in security", a statement issued by the rebels said. UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the rebels' move "contravenes" their commitment to the peace process and "represents a grave violation" of UN Security Council Resolution 2216 on Yemen's conflict. A UN spokesman in Kuwait, however, said Ould Cheikh Ahmed was scheduled to meet with the rebels later on Friday, and with ambassadors of the 18 countries backing the peace process in Yemen. Indirect negotiations held in Kuwait since April have failed to make headway. Most of the discussions focused on the type of the government to run Yemen during a transition period. "It must be made clear here that it is the Huthi-Saleh alliance that foiled the peace talks in Kuwait. They have shown that they were never serious about a peaceful settlement," Emrani said. A top aide to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi said on Thursday that the government considered the peace talks had wound up without agreement. "The negotiations have completely ended," said Abdullah al-Olaimi, deputy director of the president's office and a member of the government delegation. More than 6,400 people have been killed in Yemen since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of Hadi's government. Another 2.8 million people have been displaced and more than 80 per cent of the population urgently needs humanitarian aid, according to UN figures. (AFP)

Yemen quits UN-backed peace talks

The United Nations called for a humanitarian truce in Yemen&#39;s&nbsp;province of Taiz after government forces captured a town from Iran-allied Houthi militia in heavy fighting that has spurred allegations of war crimes.

The fighting has complicated UN-sponsored peace talks, as envoys for the Houthis have delayed responding to UN&nbsp;proposals calling for Houthi pullouts from cities they control, including the capital Sanaa, and the creation of an inclusive government. 
 
James McGoldrick, the UN&nbsp;Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, voiced alarm at increasing bloodshed in the southwestern Taiz province, particularly the al-Sarari area, and the closure of Taiz city, the regional capital. 
 
He urged all warring parties to agree immediately to a &quot;humanitarian pause&quot; to protect civilians and cooperate with humanitarian agencies to help treat and evacuate war-wounded and deliver urgently needed medicine into the embattled zone. 
 
McGoldrick warned both parties that holding civilian populations hostage and depriving them of humanitarian assistance was illegal under international humanitarian law. 
 
Hadi supporters control most of Taiz, Yemen&#39;s third largest city with an estimated pre-war population of 300,000, but it is sealed off by Houthi forces on three sides. 
 
There were conflicting reports on the fighting in al-Sarari, a Houthi stronghold southeast of Taiz captured by troops loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi earlier this week. 
 
A Houthi envoy on a ceasefire committee assigned to oversee a shaky truce in Taiz wrote to the UN&nbsp;that Sarari residents had been subjected to &quot;war crimes&quot; including house burnings and the detention of 49 civilians including women and children. 
 
&quot;We call on you to swiftly intervene to stop these gangs and limit the massacres they have begun to commit against unarmed civilians,&quot; Ahmed al-Msawa said in the letter, seen by Reuters.

Two residents of a hamlet adjacent to Sarari said that at least 15 Houthi combatants were killed or wounded in the fighting. 
 
They said 40 other Houthis were taken prisoner but denied that any women or children were among them. They said most Sarari residents had fled to neighbouring communities. 
 
Hadi supporters have denied setting fires to houses and accused the Houthis of booby-trapping a Sarari mosque to try to kill as many Hadi supporters as possible. 
 
A Saudi-led alliance intervened in Yemen&#39;s conflict in March 2015 to try to restore Hadi to power after the Houthis seized Sanaa and advanced on his temporary headquarters in Aden, forcing him to flee to Saudi Arabia.

A ceasefire accord between the Houthis and Hadi loyalists has repeatedly been violated since it took effect in April. 
 
Peace talks in Kuwait since then have done little to end fighting that has killed more than 6,200 people and displaced more than 2.5 million in the Arabian Peninsula state. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The fighting between government forces and Houthi forces regarding the control of Taiz has spurred allegations of war crimes

The United Nations called for a humanitarian truce in Yemen's province of Taiz after government forces captured a town from Iran-allied Houthi militia in heavy fighting that has spurred allegations of war crimes. The fighting has complicated UN-sponsored peace talks, as envoys for the Houthis have delayed responding to UN proposals calling for Houthi pullouts from cities they control, including the capital Sanaa, and the creation of an inclusive government. James McGoldrick, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, voiced alarm at increasing bloodshed in the southwestern Taiz province, particularly the al-Sarari area, and the closure of Taiz city, the regional capital. He urged all warring parties to agree immediately to a "humanitarian pause" to protect civilians and cooperate with humanitarian agencies to help treat and evacuate war-wounded and deliver urgently needed medicine into the embattled zone. McGoldrick warned both parties that holding civilian populations hostage and depriving them of humanitarian assistance was illegal under international humanitarian law. Hadi supporters control most of Taiz, Yemen's third largest city with an estimated pre-war population of 300,000, but it is sealed off by Houthi forces on three sides. There were conflicting reports on the fighting in al-Sarari, a Houthi stronghold southeast of Taiz captured by troops loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi earlier this week. A Houthi envoy on a ceasefire committee assigned to oversee a shaky truce in Taiz wrote to the UN that Sarari residents had been subjected to "war crimes" including house burnings and the detention of 49 civilians including women and children. "We call on you to swiftly intervene to stop these gangs and limit the massacres they have begun to commit against unarmed civilians," Ahmed al-Msawa said in the letter, seen by Reuters. Two residents of a hamlet adjacent to Sarari said that at least 15 Houthi combatants were killed or wounded in the fighting. They said 40 other Houthis were taken prisoner but denied that any women or children were among them. They said most Sarari residents had fled to neighbouring communities. Hadi supporters have denied setting fires to houses and accused the Houthis of booby-trapping a Sarari mosque to try to kill as many Hadi supporters as possible. A Saudi-led alliance intervened in Yemen's conflict in March 2015 to try to restore Hadi to power after the Houthis seized Sanaa and advanced on his temporary headquarters in Aden, forcing him to flee to Saudi Arabia. A ceasefire accord between the Houthis and Hadi loyalists has repeatedly been violated since it took effect in April. Peace talks in Kuwait since then have done little to end fighting that has killed more than 6,200 people and displaced more than 2.5 million in the Arabian Peninsula state. (Reuters)

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