Yemen rebels vow escalation

SANAA, YEMEN » Saudi Arabia announced Monday that the Saudi-led coalition fighting Shiite rebels in Yemen will begin reopening airports and seaports in the Arab world’s poorest country, days after closing them over a rebel ballistic missile attack on Riyadh.

The announcement from the Saudi mission at the United Nations came after the coalition fighting Yemen’s rebels, known as Houthis, faced widespread international criticism over the closure, with the U.N. and over 20 aid groups saying it could bring millions of people closer to “starvation and death.”

“The first step in this process will be taken within 24 hours and involves reopening all the ports in areas controlled by” Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which the coalition backs, read the mission’s statement.

Those ports are in Yemeni cities of Aden, Mocha and Mukalla. For ports in rebelheld or disputed territories, the mission said it has asked the U.N. to send a team of experts to discuss ways to make sure weapons can’t be smuggled in.