Iran says Yemen on verge of "human catastrophe"

Iran said on Wednesday that the war-ridden Yemen is on the verge of human catastrophe as the Saudi-led coalition tightens its grip on humanitarian aid channels to the Arab state,.

"Saudi Arabia and the other Arabic states in coalition (with Saudi Arabia) have pushed Yemen to the brinks of human catastrophe, and they try to seal the few remaining channels for humanitarian and medical aids to the people of Yemen," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said.

"The invaders have sought destruction of the country, and their uninterrupted daily bombardment of the cities in Yemen has led to the critical human situation," she added.

The spokeswoman condemned coalition's recent airstrike on a hospital run by medical aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres in Yemen's northern Saada province, and criticized the UN Security Council and the international community for what she called "their silence" over the attack.

On Monday night, the hospital, located in the stronghold of the Shiite Houthi group, was hit by several airstrikes, leaving one staff member slightly injured and the hospital destroyed.

The Yemeni government, which is supported by Saudi Arabia, has long accused Iran of arming and financing the Shiite Houthi group against President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, but Iran has denied the accusation.

The Saudi-led coalition of nine countries has been carrying out military operations against Houthis in Yemen since late March in an effort to restore Hadi's authority.

The coalition's airstrikes and ground battles in Yemen have left at least 5,000 people killed, half of them being civilians, and more than 1.5 million people displaced. Endit