UN "extremely concerned" over sharp rise in military operations in Yemen: spokesman

The UN is extremely concerned about an intensification of military operations, including airstrikes, in the Dhubab and Al Mokha districts of Yemen's Taizz Governorate, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here Thursday.

"There has also been a sharp increase in airstrikes in Hudaydah and surrounding areas," Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

Displacement is increasing from Mokha, with at least a third of the population, approximately 30,000 people, forced to flee to other areas in Taizz governorate, as well as to Hudaydah and Lahj governorates, he said. "There are conflicting reports on the number of people that are still in the city."

"Assistance is being provided to the displaced in Hudaydah and a response is being mobilised in the governorate of Taizz," he said.

"We are also concerned about the impact of military operations on the movement of commercial and humanitarian vessels in the Red Sea near Yemen's ports, the gateway of 70 percent of imports for Yemen," he added.

The situation in Yemen has deteriorated economically and politically since March 2015, when war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullash Saleh, and the government backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.

Houthis and Saleh's forces hold most of Yemen's northern regions while government forces backed by Saudi-led military coalition share control of the rest of the country including seven southern provinces.

The civil war, ground battles and airstrikes have already killed more than 10,000 people, half of them civilians, injured more than 35,000 others and displaced over two millions, according to humanitarian agencies. Enditem