Number of Yemenis fleeing Al-Hudaydah tops 121,000: UN

AL-HUDAYDAH, Yemen - Anadolu Agency

More than 121,000 people have recently fled Yemen’s port city of Al-Hudaydah due to fierce attacks by Saudi-led coalition forces, according to a new UN report.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest situation report on Al-Hudaydah released on July 4 that displacement from the Al-Hudaydah Governorate continues and added: “Humanitarian partners have verified more than 17,350 households (over 121,000 people) being displaced since 1 June.”

“More than 10,000 displaced households (nearly 80,000 people) have been assisted with food, emergency kits, and other life-saving support,” it added.

The OCHA said that after the partial calm of the last few days, air attacks were carried out near the Hudaydah-Sana road and Hudaydah airport.

“Intensive airstrikes were also reported on 4 July in the southern Zaid District,” it added.

Humanitarian aid workers are carrying out their activities in the city as the aid convoys entered the city without encountering too much trouble, according to the report.

But it underlined that many roads in the city are still closed to traffic, and negotiations are needed to reach many areas of the city.

Half of children unable to attend school

The report also said due to the displacement, only half of the local children can attend school.

On medical services in the city, the report said that seven health institutions have temporarily closed or suspended operations.

On June 13, Yemeni government forces - backed by the Saudi-led military coalition - waged a wide-ranging operation to retake Al-Hudaydah and its strategic seaport from Houthi rebels.

Government forces continued to advance towards the city, and on June 19 they completely seized Hudaydah International Airport.

Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when the Houthis overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies - who accuse the Shia Houthis of serving as Iranian proxies - launched a massive air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.