Houthis are using civilians as human shields: Yemen

ADEN: Yemen’s government accused Houthi rebels on Saturday of using civilians as human shields in their renewed offensive against its last major toehold in the north.

Earlier this month, the Iran-backed militants resumed a push to capture the city of Marib, 120 kilometres east of the rebel-held capital Sanaa.

The city lies close to some of Yemen’s richest oil fields and its capture would be major prize for the rebels.

But the fighting has raised fears for the hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians sheltering in camps in the surrounding desert that extends to the Saudi border.

Military officials said the rebels had been using residents of Al Zor camp in the province’s Sirwah district as “human shields” since their capture of the area last week.

The officials said there had been no let-up in the fighting. Until early last year, Marib had been spared the worst of the civil war that erupted in 2014.

The International Commitee of the Red Cross has said it is “extremely concerned” by the recent fighting.

“The ICRC urges all parties to the conflict to take every possible measure to protect the civilians, their properties and all civilian essential infrastructures,” it said on Twiter.

The UN has warned of the potential for a humanitarian disaster.

“It puts millions of civilians at risk, especially with the fighting reaching camps for internally displaced persons,” envoy Martin Griffiths told the UN Security Council. Observers say the Huthis want to capture Marib to strengthen their hand in eventual peace negotiations.