Saudi-Arabia-led airstrikes and fighting between Houthi rebels and pro-government groups in the two towns have killed more than 200 civilians, including dozens of children, the group said in a new report.
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Military sources said in Taez on Monday said that the dead bodies of 50 Shiite Huthi rebels and allied troops were retrieved from the city adding that 31 pro-government fighters were also killed.
The Saudi-led coalition of nine Arab countries began launching strikes on the Houthis on March 26 in an attempt to stop the rebels’ advance across the country.
The navy was targeted for the second straight day after Tuesday’s air attacks destroyed large parts of its facilities amid reports of Saudi-led coalition’s warships are approaching the area aiming to control the strategic port.
Anti-Houthi groups have pushed the northern militia out of some southern provinces since late July, but while that has allowed aid to reach Aden in the south, the humanitarian crisis elsewhere remains critical.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, anti-Houthi activists in Sana’a said the insurgent group has declared a state of emergency in the provinces of Saada and Hajjah on the border with Saudi Arabia.
In a report, Amnesty criticized the “unlawful coalition airstrikes in densely populated residential neighborhoods” in addition to fighting in civilian areas by rebels and pro-government forces.
The fighters, who back the exiled president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, are inching closer to the presidential palace in the city, located southwest of the capital Sanaa, army sources said.
The sources said that loyalists were advancing in the north and east but rebels still controlled entrances to Taez, including its eastern gate to Sanaa.
The Houthis, backed by military units loyal to Hadi’s predecessor Ali Abdullah Saleh, are facing off against a range of local and tribal fighters, Sunni Islamists, southern secessionists and al-Qaeda militants.
Saudi-owned newspaper al-Hayat has reported that 1,500 troops, majority from the UAE, had entered Aden in support of loyalists.
The coalition, led by Saudi Arabia with a big military role played by the United Arab Emirates, has accused the Houthis of commandeering aid shipments for war use.
The war in Yemen has killed nearly 4,000 people, half of them civilians, while 80 percent of the 21 million population needs aid and protection, the UN says.
Authorities have been struggling to restore order to Aden, which was left devastated by heavy fighting.
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It is unclear how many employees were at the Sanaa embassy or if it had been operational when it was stormed.
