Houthis say they've begun limiting entry of relief planes into Yemen capital Sanaa

Relief planes – including from the United Nations – won't be allowed to access Yemen's capital until 30 March, according to the rebel-controlled Civil Aviation Authority.
2 min read
26 March, 2023
The war in Yemen began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa from the internationally recognised government [Mohammed Hamoud/Getty-file photo]

Yemen's Houthi rebels said they had begun restricting the entry of relief planes into Sanaa on Saturday.

Relief planes – including from the United Nations – won't be allowed to access the capital from Saturday to next Thursday, 30 March, according to the rebel-controlled Civil Aviation Authority. They will then be permitted in only on Fridays.

The Iran-aligned Houthis made the move since commercial flights in and out of Sanaa have allegedly been banned, as has booking flights out of the city.

A truce was in force in Yemen for six months last year, but expired in October.

The Houthis and the government blame each other for the collapse of the agreement.

MENA
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The war in Yemen began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa from the internationally recognised government.

The year after, a Saudi-led coalition entered the conflict to support the government.

Both sides have been accused of grave violations by rights groups, and the situation in Yemen is considered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed directly or indirectly by the war, with 4.5 million people internally displaced and more than two-thirds of the population living below the poverty line, according to UN estimates.

Agencies contributed to this report.