Saudi-led coalition closes Yemen's ports

(Image credit: Mohammed Huwais/AFP/Getty Images)

published 6 November 2017

After Saudi Arabia intercepted a missile fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen on Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition retaliated by closing Yemen's land, sea, and air ports early Monday.

The coalition said this is a temporary measure, and humanitarian aid will still be able to come into the country, the poorest in the region. The missile targeted Riyadh, and the coalition accused Iran of giving it to the rebels; Iran denies providing the missile. In a statement, the Houthis said they fired the missile in response to coalition bombings that have killed civilians.

On Sunday, the coalition launched airstrikes against Yemen's capital of Sanaa, and the Islamic State claimed responsibility for a car bomb attack and storming of security compound in Aden that left 17 dead. Since the Houthis, backed by Iran, and Yemen's government, allied with the Saudi-led coalition, began fighting in 2014, more than 10,000 civilians have been killed, illnesses like cholera have spread, and the country is close to experiencing a famine.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.