Sixty-eight Yemeni civilians were killed in two air raids by the Saudi-led coalition in one day, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Yemen has said, as he condemned what he described as “an absurd and futile war”. The first hit a crowded market in Taez province, killing 54 civilians, including eight children, and wounding 32 others, McGoldrick said. The Arab coalition intensified its air campaign targeting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels after 19 December, when Saudi air defences intercepted a ballistic missile the insurgents had fired at the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The UN official said the conflict in Yemen had no military solution and could be resolved only through negotiations. The same position has been adopted by the British foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, who has said the resolution of the Yemen conflict is his No 1 priority.

Source: The Guardian December 28, 2017 11:39 UTC