139 killed, injured in western Yemen since October

By Ammar El Khalfi and Ali Semerci

ISTANBUL (AA) - The UN said Saturday that at least 139 civilians have been killed or injured since October in western Yemen.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said 74 civilians were killed or wounded in October and 49 in November in Al Hudaydah province.

And six workers were killed and 10 injured in an attack Dec. 3 on a trade complex in al Hudaydah

No other information was disclosed about the number killed and injured, said the report.

The conflict in Al Hudaydah has increased in recent months and conflicting parties in Yemen should stop attacks against civilians that violate international humanitarian law, according to the OCHA.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The crisis escalated in 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

More than 100,000 Yemenis, including civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, which has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with millions at risk of starvation.