Saudi-Led Attacks on Yemen Port Escalate; 150 Killed in 24 Hours

Medical staff flee, thousands of civilians trapped

Heavy fighting between invading Saudi-backed forces and the Shi’ite Houthi movement continues to escalate, with medics saying at least 150 people killed on Monday in just a 24 hour span. This is an increase of weeks of deadly fighting in and around the vital port city of Hodeidah.

Hodeidah is the main aid port into Yemen, and the last port under Houthi control. This means it is effectively the source of food for millions of Yemenis in the Houthi-controlled north, and aid groups warn the fall of the port could lead to famine.

The death toll is rising as the fighting moves deeper into the city, and its residential areas. The fall of the city’s main hospital over the weekend led to medical staff fleeing the area, and thousands of civilians remain trapped in the neighborhoods nearby.

The Saudis reportedly briefly halted airstrikes against the port, amid a visit by British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt, who was urging the Saudis to stop the strikes. Within hours, however, the strikes were renewed.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.