Saudi-led coalition calls for evacuation of gov’t buildings in Yemen’s capital

By Ahmed Ghanem Selouma, Ali Makram Ghareeb and Hamdi Yildiz

RIYADH (AA) - The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen urged civilians in government buildings in Yemen’s capital Sunday to immediately evacuate, state media reported.

The Houthi rebel group used government and ministry buildings in Sana'a for offensive operations, said Saudi Arabia’s official news agency SPA, citing a statement from the coalition.

The statement also noted that a ministry building in Sana'a linked to a drone attack last Thursday on Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport would be bombed.

The attack left 12 people injured.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when the Houthis captured much of the country, including Sanaa.

A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation, causing one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises, with nearly 80% or around 30 million people needing humanitarian assistance and protection and more than 13 million in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.

*Writing by Beyza Binnur Dönmez