SANAA, Yemen
The government of Yemen’s president-in-exile, Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, declared the city of Taiz a “disaster area”.
The government, which is currently based in Saudi Arabia, called on the international community – especially the UN Security Council (UNSC) – to intervene immediately to save Yemeni civilians, who, it asserted, were being subject to a “genocide” at the hands of the Shia Houthi militia and forces loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Human Rights Minister Ezzedin al-Asbahi told Yemen’s SABA News Agency that the government planned to submit a message in this regard to the UNSC and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.
Dozens of civilians were killed on Monday when Houthi and pro-Saleh forces shelled residential areas of Taiz, according to witnesses.
Yemen descended into chaos last September, when the Houthis overran capital Sanaa and other provinces, prompting Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies to launch a massive air campaign against the Shia group.
Last month, Yemeni Prime Minister Khaled Bahah said that pro-Hadi forces – backed by Saudi-led air power – had managed to retake Aden from the Houthis.
