The United Nations on Saturday called for "immediate steps" to end the ongoing crisis in Yemen.
The United Nations on Saturday called for "immediate steps" to end the ongoing crisis in Yemen.
In a statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said that the conflicts in Al Hodeidah led to an "unconscionable toll".
"The Saudi-led Coalition and pro-Hadi forces, the Houthi forces – and those who supply arms or other support to the parties to the conflict – all have the power or the influence to stop the starvation and killing of civilians, to give some reprieve to the people of Yemen," she said.
"Violations by one party to the conflict do not give carte blanche to the others to fight back at all costs. Even wars are regulated by law – all parties to the conflict are bound to respect international humanitarian law and human rights law as applicable," she added.
According to informations by the UN Human Rights Office, at least 110 airstrikes were carried out in Al Hodeidah, Sa'ada and Sana between Oct. 31 and Nov. 6.
Coalition warplanes have been hovering at low altitude in Al Hodeida city since Thursday, as Houthi forces fire anti-aircraft missiles and mortars, and violent street clashes continued, it added.
At least 23 civilians were confirmed dead since Oct. 24, while around 445,000 civilians have been internally displaced in Al Hodeidah since early June, the UN Human Rights Office reported.
The UN official called for the immediate end of the military escalation which she said also leads to the increase of the "catastrophic food insecurity of some 14 million people across the country".
Access to food, humanitarian relief
"The parties to the conflict must allow the free, regular and unimpeded passage of food and other humanitarian relief and must not take actions that would deprive civilians of their rights to food and health," Bachelet said.
"I call on all those with involvement or influence in the conflict to facilitate the access to humanitarian relief that the people of Yemen so desperately need," she added.
"I also remind States that the Geneva Conventions stipulate that all States, including those not involved in the armed conflict, have the obligation to take measures to ensure respect for the Conventions by parties to a conflict. Conditioning, limiting or refusing arms transfers is one measure," she said.
According to the UN Human Rights Office, between March 26, 2015 and Nov. 8 2018 a total of 17,640 civilian casualties were reported in Yemen, which includes 6,872 dead and 10,768 injured.
The majority of these casualties -- a total of 10,852 -- resulted from airstrikes carried out by the Saudi-led Coalition, it added.
Security forces have arrested a Daesh cell in Yemen’s southern Lahij province, according to the country’s interior ministry on Saturday.In a statement, the ministry said the cell had been plotting attacks against officials in the province and the coastal city of Aden.The ministry blamed the Daesh cell for a spate of attacks in Aden, the current seat of the Yemeni government.Daesh has claimed a series of attacks that struck Lahij and Aden in recent months.Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a devastating air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.Last year, the Pentagon said Daesh has used ungoverned spaces of Yemen to plot, direct, instigate, supply and recruit for attacks against the U.S. and its allies around the world.US asked to stop refueling Saudi aircraft in Yemen war
Yemeni forces arrest Daesh cell in Lahij
Saudi Arabia on Saturday requested the United States to halt refueling the Kingdom's aircraft fighting in the Yemen war.The Saudi press agency reported the Saudi-led coalition has increased its capability to independently conduct inflight refueling in the war-torn country."As a result, in consultation with the United States, the Coalition has requested cessation of inflight refueling support for its operations in Yemen," it said in a statement.A decision on halting refueling the Saudi planes would have little impact on the fight, said the U.S. media, adding it would allow the U.S. administration to signal action against Saudi Arabia.According to the agency, the coalition hoped that the upcoming UN sponsored negotiations in a third country would lead to a negotiated settlement and see an end to the aggression by the Iranian-backed Houthi militias' against the Yemeni people and countries in the region, including the threat of ballistic missiles and unarmed aerial vehicles (UAVs).Saudi-backed Yemeni forces launch new offensive to capture Hodeidah from HouthisThe move comes amid outrage by American lawmakers about the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.After offering vacillating explanations for Khashoggi's disappearance, Riyadh has acknowledged he was killed in a fist fight after he entered the diplomatic facility.Khashoggi's body has not returned to his family despite calls for the Kingdom to do so amid speculation it was chemically dissolved.U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said the U.S. supported Riyadh decision for Washington to halt refueling of aircraft."We are all focused on supporting resolution of the conflict, led by UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths," Mattis said in a statement. "The U.S. and the Coalition are planning to collaborate on building up legitimate Yemeni forces to defend the Yemeni people, secure their country's borders, and contribute to counter Al Qaeda and ISIS [Daesh] efforts in Yemen and the region."Iran blames US for crimes against humanity in YemenüHe said Washington will continue working with the caalition and Yemen to minimize civilian casualties and expand urgent humanitarian efforts throughout the country.Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a devastating air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.Yemen defense minister appointed after 3-year vacancy
US asked to stop refueling Saudi aircraft in Yemen war
Yemeni forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition launched on Friday a "vast offensive" to take full control of Hodeidah, the internationally recognized government based in the southern city of Aden said in a statement."A military operation has begun and the national army forces have advanced towards the north and the western sides of the city of Hodeidah, progressing from all front with the support of the Arab coalition," it said. "Fierce battles are taking place at these moments." 
Saudi-backed Yemeni forces launch new offensive to capture Hodeidah from Houthis
The U.S. is responsible for crimes against humanity regarding Iran and Yemen, Iran’s Foreign Minister said Thursday."You know what @SecPompeo? It's the Yemenis themselves who're responsible for famine they're facing. They should've simply allowed your butcher clients—who spend billions on bombing school buses "millions to mitigate this risk"--to annihilate them w/o resisting. #HaveYouNoShame,"Javad Zarif said on Twitter.On Oct. 30, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for the cessation of hostilities in Yemen. He said in a statement that missile and drone strikes by Iran-allied Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates should stop and air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition must cease in all populated areas of Yemen.Yemen defense minister appointed after 3-year vacancy"Just as with Yemen, @SecPompeo blames Iran for unlawful US sanctions preventing Iranians’ access to financial services for food and medicine. Naturally, we will provide them for our people in spite of US efforts. But US is accountable for crimes against humanity re Iran Yemen," Zarif said.Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a devastating air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.EU allocates additional $100 million for Yemen crisisIn recent months, the fighting has been largely concentrated in Al-Hudaydah, where the two sides continue to fight over a strategic seaport located between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.Ongoing violence in Yemen has destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure, prompting the UN to describe the situation as one of “the worst humanitarian disasters of modern times”.Scores of rebels reportedly killed in Yemen clashes
Iran blames US for crimes against humanity in Yemen