A Saudi-led alliance launched more air strikes on Yemen’s capital and more foreign troops were reported to be moving into the country, Reuters reports, an escalation in coalition involvement.
Local sources cited by Reuters report an increase in Qatari, Sudanese, and Egyptian forces entering Yemen, while Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Gazette, citing Al Arabiya TV, reports that the Saudi-led alliance has deployed 10,000 troops to Yemen. It is estimated that at least 1,000 of those were from Qatar, but exact figures provided by each nation are not known.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter visits with Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Meanwhile, the United Nations is now trying to broker an earlier deal that fell through to provide Saudi aid to Yemen, according to NPR. That organization estimates that 1.5 million people have been displaced from their homes and were living on dwindling food supplies.
Although Saudi Arabia intends to provide aid to Yemen, it is reluctant to do so before ensuring that the aid would not end up in the wrong hands, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said. “It is not reasonable to expect a donor to give money without expecting to see where the funds will be spent and how.”
The ongoing conflict in Yemen was an item on the top of the agenda of discussions between U.S President Barack Obama and Saudi King Salman last week. The United States has provided logistical support to the Saudi-led coalition of Arab participants.
