CRI听力:Saudi-led Coalition Carries out 130 Air Strikes in N Yemen in 24 Hours

A humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the city of Saada in Northern Yemen, where thousands of Civilians are trapped, as missiles rain down, striking even schools and hospitals.

The Saudi-led coalition has carried out 130 air strikes on 100 targets within the last 24 hours, mainly in the densely populated cities of Saada and Maran, on Yemen's border near Saudi Arabia.

But Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri, Spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, says they consider all of Saada to be a "military zone." On Friday, the coalition dropped leaflets warning residents to leave.

"The air force has targeted control and command centers, and the locations and offices of Houthi leaders, targeting more than 17 Houthi leaders and the organization related to them."

But, according to the medical charity Doctors without Borders, thousands of civilians have been forced to flee on foot, as severe fuel shortages have crippled the region's transportation network. Some of Saada's residents have sought shelter in caves.

The UN representative in Yemen has criticized the Saudi-led coalition saying trapped civilians are being bombed.

But General Asseri says the Houthi rebels have stopped the civilians from leaving Saada and are using them as human shields.

"We have proven beyond doubt that the Houthi militias prevented Yemeni citizens from evacuating from Saada city through checkpoints and by controlling fuel stations to prevent them from leaving."

Meanwhile, on Sunday morning, air strikes in the Sanaa targeted the home of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. But local media reports say that Saleh and his family were unharmed.

The Former President, who was ousted during the Arab spring, is supporting the Houthi rebels who seized control of the capital Sanaa last December.

The Saudi-led coalition, backed by the US and Britain, wants to restore the exiled government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who has now fled to Riyadh.

The Air strikes have killed at least 1,400 people since mid-March. More than half of those killed are civilians, according to the UN.

Saudi Arabia has agreed to a five-day humanitarian ceasefire that will come into effect on Tuesday, May 12.

But Saudi Foreign minister Adel Al-Jubeir warns that the ceasefire will hold only as long as the Houthi's stick to their side of the agreement.

"We have made a decision that the ceasefire will begin this Tuesday, May 12 at 11pm and will last for five days and is subject to renewal if it works out. I want to make sure that I make clear that the ceasefire will end should the Houthis or their allies not live up to the agreements contained in this issue."

The rebels say they accept the terms of the ceasefire. It is hoped that this brief window of calm will allow aid agencies to reach civilians who are in desperate need of help.

For CRI I'm Poornima Weerasekara.