Military clashes escalate in western Yemen: report

Military clashes have escalated in western Yemen, with reports of intense fighting between Houthi forces and so‑called Saudi‑backed "mercenaries" in Al‑Hawk district in the northern part of Hodeidah province, Iran's Tasnim News Agency reported on Saturday.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg on Friday warned of a growing risk of renewed large-scale conflict in Yemen amid escalating attacks by the Houthi group against Saudi tankers and Yemeni government forces.

In a statement, Grundberg pointed to the latest attacks by the Houthis in the provinces of Marib and Hadramout, which reportedly caused significant casualties, including civilians, as well as "attacks on commercial shipping" in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

He expressed concern over strikes on civilian infrastructure including airports, and the broader escalation of regional tensions.

Taken together, these developments risk jeopardizing gains from the 2022 truce, Grundberg said, warning that they could draw Yemen into "a broader regional confrontation."

Grundberg noted he had held intensive discussions in recent weeks with Yemeni parties, regional actors and international partners to explore options for de-escalation.

He called on all parties to exercise "maximum restraint," halt actions that could trigger military retaliation and engage in good-faith negotiations under UN auspices.

Yemen has been mired in conflicts since late 2014, when the Houthis seized much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government.

A UN-brokered truce that took effect in April 2022 expired in October that year without a formal extension, though a fragile de facto ceasefire has largely held since then.

The Houthi group announced a maritime ban on Saudi shipping in July, citing what it called a Saudi blockade against Houthi-controlled areas, a claim that Riyadh has firmly rejected.

Military clashes escalate in western Yemen: report

The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) continues to spread fast, with women and children bearing the brunt of the epidemic, according to the United Nations.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Friday that women and children have been the hardest hit by the epidemic.

According to statistics from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), more than 300 children in the country have died from Ebola since the outbreak began.

UNICEF also said although children account for only about a quarter of confirmed cases, they make up about a third of all deaths.

"The outbreak is unfolding in a province where nearly one million people are displaced, around 80 percent of them women and children. According to the UN Children's Fund, more than 300 children have died from Ebola since the outbreak began. Children make up nearly a quarter of confirmed cases, but almost a third of all deaths," said Farhan Haq, UN deputy spokesman.

Furthermore, the outbreak has severely strained the local healthcare system.

In the hardest-hit areas, the utilization of healthcare services has plummeted in recent months as people fear infection.

The United Nations said that the key to containing the outbreak is to restore community trust in the healthcare system.

Currently, various parties have deployed approximately 13,000 community workers to conduct public health awareness campaigns and have completed more than 500,000 home visits to help raise public awareness, facilitate early detection of cases, and ensure timely medical care.

Ebola outbreak continues to spread in DR Congo, women, children worst hit: UN