Yemen's Houthi administration offers 'daily exercise sessions' to all employees

Yemen's rebel administration has introduced daily exercise sessions for all employees in the capital Sanaa and in other governorates under its control, Al-Mashhad al-Yemeni news site reported on Thursday, citing "informed sources".

The Houthi administration will offer sports classes to all its employees every afternoon, sources said.

The move came in a bid to provide an "alternative" to help overcome the addiction to qat, a leafy plant that is Yemen's most popular narcotic, the report said.

The news site also argued that the measure sought to distract employees from demanding their salaries, which have been intermittent for years.

It added that thousands of employees, who live in difficult humanitarian conditions, were "surprised" by the introduction of exercise sessions.

Yemen is mired in a conflict between Iran-backed Houthi rebels - who control the capital but whose administration is not internationally recognised - and a beleaguered government supported by a Saudi-led military coalition.

The years of fighting have triggered what the UN says is the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with millions of Yemenis pushed to the brink of starvation.