DUBAI: Houthi militants broke the UN-sponsored truce 230 times in 48 hours, mostly against government army positions and personnel, Yemen’s state news agency Saba reported.
For two days until Aug. 20, the Iran-backed militia hit with mortar fire Yemen’s army positions and sniped at military personnel deployed in Hodeida, Taiz, Dhale’, Hajjah, Sa’adah, Jawf and Marib, which resulted in the death of a soldier and injury to 11 others.
General Lieutenant Amin Al-Uqaili, director of Anti-Landmines National Program, meanwhile said landmines being planted by the Houthis, despite the newly renewed UN truce, had become more dangerous particularly for civilians due to the rain.
Floods have swept landmines into new areas, making it difficult for anti-mining personnel to find them or define their areas, the official said, as he called on residents to report suspicious-looking objects that could be explosive ordnances.
The World Food Programme in Aden meanwhile held discussions with local officials on ways to improve the distribution of aid and promote food security in the conflict-ridden country.
About 23.4 million Yemenis, or 73 percent of the population, have become dependent on humanitarian aid since the conflict started and it is estimated that 4.3 million individuals have been displaced internally, without access to basic needs.
The United Nations earlier said its humanitarian agencies were facing the ‘biggest funding gap ever’ in Yemen, with only $1.24 billion of the requested $4.27 billion provided so far by various governments and NGOs.
