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Yemen war: Saudi coalition 'to reopen rebel-held port for aid' Yemen war: Saudi coalition 'to let aid reach rebel-held port'
(about 1 hour later)
The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen is to reopen the rebel-held port of Hudaydah and Sanaa's airport for aid deliveries, after urgent UN appeals. The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen says it will allow aid deliveries to the rebel-held port of Hudaydah and Sanaa airport, after urgent UN appeals.
The coalition, which backs Yemen's government, tightened its blockade of the country two weeks ago in response to a rebel missile attack on Riyadh.The coalition, which backs Yemen's government, tightened its blockade of the country two weeks ago in response to a rebel missile attack on Riyadh.
Aid deliveries to government-controlled air and sea ports resumed last week. Government-controlled air and sea ports were allowed to reopen last week.
The UN said that was insufficient and warned "untold thousands" in rebel-held areas would die without fresh supplies. The UN said that was insufficient and that the threat of famine for millions of people was growing by the day.
On Wednesday, the coalition announced it had carried out a review of the UN's inspection and verification procedures aimed at halting the alleged smuggling of weapons to the rebel Houthi movement and its allies. Yemen is reliant on imports for more than 80% of its food, and it faced the largest food security emergency in the world even before the blockade was tightened.
The coalition announced the "temporary closure" of Yemen's air, land and sea borders on 6 November, two days after a ballistic missile fired from territory held by the rebel Houthi movement was intercepted over Riyadh's international airport.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accused its regional rival Iran of supplying the missile, but Iranian President Hassan Rouhani denied arming the Houthis and said the attack was a "reaction" by Yemenis to coalition air strikes.
On Wednesday, the coalition announced it had carried out a review of the UN's inspection and verification procedures of aid shipments aimed at preventing the alleged smuggling of weapons.
As a result, the coalition said it had decided to reopen the Red Sea port of Hudaydah "to receive urgent humanitarian and relief materials" and reopen Sanaa airport to "UN aircraft, designated for humanitarian and relief efforts".As a result, the coalition said it had decided to reopen the Red Sea port of Hudaydah "to receive urgent humanitarian and relief materials" and reopen Sanaa airport to "UN aircraft, designated for humanitarian and relief efforts".
The steps will be implemented at 12:00 local time (09:00 GMT) on Thursday. The decisions would take effect from 12:00 (09:00 GMT) on Thursday, it added.
The coalition also said it would soon announce a "comprehensive humanitarian operations plan that aims to provide assistance and relief to the Yemeni people, and to facilitate the delivery of food to all the governorates of Yemen".The coalition also said it would soon announce a "comprehensive humanitarian operations plan that aims to provide assistance and relief to the Yemeni people, and to facilitate the delivery of food to all the governorates of Yemen".
Last Thursday, the directors of the World Health Programme, World Food Programme and Unicef warned of potential disaster. They said that unless the coalition permitted the delivery of life-saving supplies to Hudaydah and another rebel-held port, "untold thousands of innocent victims, among them many children, will die". Last Thursday, the World Health Programme, World Food Programme and Unicef urged the coalition to lift the blockade. Unless the delivery of life-saving supplies to rebel-held ports was permitted, they warned, "untold thousands of innocent victims, among them many children, will die".
More than 8,670 people - 60% of them civilians - have been killed and 49,960 injured in Yemen since the coalition intervened in the war between forces loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Houthis in 2015, according to the UN. More than 20 million people, including 11 million children, are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, according to the UN agencies.
The conflict has also left 20.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, created the world's largest food security emergency, and led to a cholera outbreak that is believed to have affected 913,000 people and caused 2,196 deaths. Some 17 million people do not know where their next meal is coming from and 7 million are totally dependent on food assistance. Severe acute malnutrition is threatening the lives of almost 400,000 children.
At least 14.8 million are without basic healthcare and the world's largest cholera outbreak has resulted in more than 913,000 suspected cases and 2,196 deaths.
Fighting on the ground and air strikes have also killed more than 8,670 people - 60% of them civilians - and injured 49,960 others since the coalition intervened in the war between forces loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Houthis in March 2015, the UN says.