Graphic shows areas of control in Yemen’s civil war.
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YEMEN

Yemeni forces close in on port city of Hodeidah

By Mike Tyler

June 6, 2018 - Pro-government forces in Yemen are closing in on the Red Sea port of Hodeida, the main point of entry for aid to the war-ravaged country, following a rapid advance against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

UN officials have warned that an assault on Hodeida, which has a population of about 600,000, would cause a humanitarian calamity. The port is a vital lifeline from which most of the Yemeni population gets food and medicine.

Government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition have been fighting the Shiite Houthi movement in Yemen since March 2015. The coalition accuses the Houthis of bringing Iranian arms in through Hodeida, accusations denied by the rebels.

The three-year conflict has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced more than three million. It has also damaged Yemen’s infrastructure, crippled its health system and pushed it to the brink of famine.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 06/06/2018; STORY: Graphic News
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