Yemen conflict: At least 10,000 killed, says UN

Houthi rebels and Saudi-led coalition forces have been fighting for more than 21 months

At least 10,000 people have been killed in the war in Yemen between Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition supporting the government, the UN says.

The organisation said the death toll “underscores the need to resolve the situation” that has lasted for more than 21 months.

The news came as a UN envoy met President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi on Monday in the Yemeni port city of Aden.

The conflict between the Houthis and the government escalated in March 2015.

The Saudi-led force intervened in an attempt to restore the elected administration.

Since then “the estimates are that over 10,000 people have been killed in this conflict and almost 40,000 people injured,” UN humanitarian co-ordinator for Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, said.

He added that millions of people in the country, living in areas directly affected by the fighting, are facing food shortages.

“There are seven million people who don’t know where their next meal is coming from,” Mr McGoldrick said.

The envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, is hoping to revive hopes for peace after a previous proposal for a new unity government, including the withdrawal of rebels from the capital and other cities in the country, was rejected by President Hadi.

Mr Ahmed is due to report to the UN Security Council later this month.

The UN lists the conflict in Yemen as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

BBC