Protesters block a street with burning tires after the Yemeni Riyal has severely plunged against foreign currencies, in Aden, Yemen September 2, 2018.
Protesters on Thursday blocked roads in the southern city of Aden -- Yemen's interim capital -- while three cities in Hadhramaut province were also rocked by demonstrations.
For the fifth consecutive day, youths in Aden and Hadhramaut staged demonstrations against rapidly rising costs of living following a recent plunge in the value of Yemen’s currency vis-à-vis the U.S. dollar.
Witnesses said angry protesters had blocked all roads linking the province’s eight directorates, bringing traffic to a virtual standstill.
According to local residents, protesters also blocked roads leading to Aden’s Maasheeq presidential palace, prompting the deployment of UAE-backed “Security Belt” forces, which support Yemen’s pro-Saudi government.
At least 26 people were injured by shrapnel when a missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi militia was intercepted over Saudi Arabia’s southwestern Najran region, according to a Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting the Houthis since 2015.“At 8.08 p.m. Wednesday, Saudi air-defense forces spotted the launch of a missile fired toward Najran, which was successfully intercepted and destroyed,” coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said in a statement Wednesday evening.According to al-Maliki, the Houthis have fired a total of 189 missiles since 2015 into or toward Saudi territory, which, he said, had resulted in the death of 112 civilians and the injury of hundreds of others.Abdul Khaliq Ali al-Qahtani, a spokesman for the Saudi Civil Defense Directorate in Najran city, told the Saudi Press Agency that 26 civilians -- including two children -- had been injured by shrapnel that rained down on the area when the missile was intercepted on Wednesday evening.The spokesman added that 15 of those injured had been treated at the site while the remaining 11 were taken to nearby hospitals.Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa.The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a massive air campaign in Yemen aimed at shoring up the country’s pro-Saudi government.
Houthi missile destroyed over SW Saudi Arabia; 26 injured
In Hadhramaut, meanwhile, three of the province’s largest cities -- Seiyun, Al-Qatn and regional capital Mukalla -- all saw continued protests on Thursday.
In an effort to contain mounting popular discontent, the government earlier this week announced a 30-percent increase in public-sector salaries.
The move failed to dampen the protests, however, which erupted after a sharp drop in the value of Yemen’s rial from about 515 to the dollar last month to a current 630.
At the beginning of 2015, the rial had traded at roughly 215 to the greenback.
Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, forcing Yemen’s pro-Saudi government to take up temporary residence in Aden.
The only way to solve the conflict in Yemen is through a political solution, the UN Security Council (UNSC) said Wednesday.In a statement, the council welcomes consultations with representatives from all parties in Yemen and supports a UN-led political process in the country.According to the statement, the council members expressed their full support the efforts of Special Envoy of the Secretary-General Martin Griffiths to bring about a political settlement."The members of the Security Council reiterated that there can only be a political solution to the conflict in Yemen," read the statement.Representatives from all parties in Yemen are scheduled to meet Thursday with Griffiths in Geneva.The council urges all parties to "seize this opportunity to de-escalate tensions" and to "take a first step towards ending a conflict that has brought severe pain and humanitarian suffering to the Yemeni people"."These initial consultations will be a necessary and important step towards the comprehensive and inclusive security and political agreements that will be required to resolve the conflict, improve the humanitarian situation, and bring peace, prosperity and security to all Yemenis," it said.The council also calls for the implementation of several resolutions including UN resolution 2216, which was adopted in 2015 and imposes an arms embargo on individuals identified by the Security Council."The members of the Security Council reaffirmed their strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen," the statement added.Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by conflict since 2014, when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa.The conflict escalated the following year when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a wide-ranging air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains in Yemen.The violence has devastated the country’s infrastructure, prompting the UN to describe the situation as “one of the worst humanitarian disasters of modern times”.Yemenis continue protests amid currency plungeYemeni photojournalist shot dead in TaizUS welcomes Saudi Arabia's admission about Yemen strikeYemenis protest in Aden as local currency plungesYemen's Houthis say target a Saudi warship
Political solution only way in Yemen: UN
The top general overseeing U.S. military operations in the Middle East met Wednesday with Yemen's chief of staff in the interim capital, Aden.According to Yemen’s official SABA news agency, Gen. Joseph Votel, head of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and Major General Taher al-Aqili discussed developing Yemen's coast guard, naval forces and special forces to “tackle the threat of terrorist militias and fight smuggling”.The two also discussed the situation in Yemen and the government's attempt to restore the state."Yemen will not be the starting point of terrorist groups but will be a part of international peace and security," al-Aqili said."The U.S. supports the legitimate government in Yemen and wants peace and stability in the country," Votel noted. Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by conflict since 2014, when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country. The conflict escalated the following year when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a wide-ranging air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains in Yemen. The violence has devastated the country’s infrastructure, prompting the UN to describe the situation as “one of the worst humanitarian disasters of modern times”.Houthis prevented from attending Geneva peace talksSpain confirms report it has halted sale of bombs to Saudi ArabiaYemenis continue protests amid currency plungeYemeni photojournalist shot dead in Taiz
Top US general visits Yemen