File photo
Yemen's Houthi movement said on Wednesday its delegation was prevented from flying to attend United Nations-sponsored peace talks in Geneva, the group's al-Masirah TV reported.
Al-Masirah said the United Nations could not secure required authorisations from the Saudi-led coalition which controls Yemen's airspace.
The Saudi-led coalition could not immediately be reached for comment, while the U.N. Special envoy's office did not respond to Reuters request for comment.
Yemenis staged fresh protests in the eastern Hadhramaut province for the second day in a row on Tuesday against the rising living costs and local currency collapse.The Yemeni riyal severely plunged against foreign currencies in the past few days. One dollar is traded now for 600 riyals, from only 513 riyals in mid-August.Angry residents set tyres on fire and blocked several streets in the city of Seiyun in the province, according to local residents.“Daily life was almost paralyzed in the city as protests continued for the second day in a row,” a local resident told Anadolu Agency, requesting anonymity due to security concerns.According to residents, the city witnessed a state of civil disobedience with stores shutting their doors in protest of the deteriorating economic situation.Protests have spread across many Yemeni provinces in recent days, including Aden, Hadhramaut, Taiz, Abyan, Dhale, Lahij.On Sunday, Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi ordered an increase in oil exports and a pay raise for civil servants as part of efforts to deal with the currency collapse.In January, Saudi Arabia intervened to save the local currency by depositing $2 billion in the Yemeni Central Bank, but the move seems to have a little impact on strengthening the Yemeni currency.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”.Yemeni photojournalist shot dead in TaizWar-weary Yemenis protest local currency collapseUS welcomes Saudi Arabia's admission about Yemen strikeYemenis protest in Aden as local currency plunges
Yemenis continue protests amid currency plunge
A Yemeni photojournalist has been shot dead in the southwestern city of Taiz, according to a local military spokesman on Monday.Mohamed al-Taheri was killed near a hospital in southern Taiz by an unidentified sniper, Colonel Abdul Basit al-Bahar told Anadolu Agency.No group has claimed responsibility for the killing.Held by government forces, Taiz has been under a siege imposed by Houthi rebels since 2015.The city has seen a spate of assassinations of military and security personnel and mosque preachers and in recent months.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”. Saudi-led coalition admits mistakes in Yemen bus strikeYemen's Houthis say target a Saudi warshipWar-weary Yemenis protest local currency collapseUS welcomes Saudi Arabia's admission about Yemen strike
Yemeni photojournalist shot dead in Taiz
Angry demonstrators on Monday blocked a number of main roads in Yemen’s eastern Hadhramaut province in protest of the rising cost of living as a result of the local currency collapse.The Yemeni riyal severely plunged against foreign currencies in the past few days. One dollar is traded now for 600 riyals, from only 513 riyals in mid-August.“Protesters set tires on fire in the streets of Seiyun city in protest of Yemeni currency collapse and rising prices,” a local resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Andolu Agency.In the city of Al-Qatn, stores shut their doors in protest of the deteriorating economic situation.On Sunday, Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi ordered an increase in oil exports and a pay raise for civil servants as part of efforts to deal with the currency collapse.In January, Saudi Arabia intervened to save the local currency by depositing $2 billion in the Yemeni Central Bank, but the move seems to have a little impact on strengthening the Yemeni currency.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”.
War-weary Yemenis protest local currency collapse
The U.S. on Sunday welcomed the Saudi Arabia-led coalition's admission that it had made "mistakes" in a deadly airstrike on a bus in Yemen that left scores of children dead."The United States regards the Saudi-led Coalition's announcement that it will review their rules of engagement, hold those at fault accountable, and compensate victims following the Joint Incident Assessment Team's finding that last month's Sa'ada air strikes lacked justification as an important first step toward full transparency and accountability," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.She said Washington continues to call on all sides to abide by the Law of Armed Conflict, to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure, and thoroughly investigate and ensure accountability for any violations.Saudi-led coalition admits mistakes in Yemen bus strike"It is imperative that all parties work toward a comprehensive political solution to avoid further harm to the Yemeni people," read the statement.The statement came a day after the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said : "The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition expresses regret over the mistakes, extends its sympathies, condolences and solidarity to the families of the victims."On Aug. 9, a Saudi-led airstrike targeted a bus carrying children in Yemen’s northwestern Saada province. At least 50 people, mostly children, were killed and dozens of others injured.The coalition said it would undertake legal proceedings "to hold the ones who committed mistakes accountable". It also pledged voluntary assistance to those affected in the attack.Saudi official hints at plan to dig canal on Qatar borderUS aiding Saudi war crimes in Yemen: NY Times
US welcomes Saudi Arabia's admission about Yemen strike