At least 149 people have been killed in 24 hours of fighting between government loyalists and rebels in Yemen's city of Hodeidah.

Seven civilians were among those who died, medics and military sources said.

The Red Sea port city has been controlled by Houthi rebels since 2014 and is a vital entry point for aid into the country.

A source in Yemen's pro-government military coalition, which is backed by a Saudi-led military alliance, said the Houthis had pushed back an offensive aimed at moving towards Hodeidah port.

Image: The city is vital entry point for aid into Yemen

Medics in hospitals across the city reported 110 rebels and 32 loyalist fighters were killed overnight.


Sources at the al Alfi military hospital, seized by the rebels during their 2014 takeover, said charred body parts had been delivered there overnight.

Military sources confirmed that the Saudi-led alliance had targeted the rebels with multiple air strikes.

Nearly 600 people have been killed since clashes erupted in the densely populated city on 1 November.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the Yemeni government's fight against the Iran-backed Houthis in 2015, triggering what the UN now calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The Hodeidah port is a vital lifeline for aid deliveries to Yemenis across the country, where 14 million people face imminent famine.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has warned that the destruction of the city could trigger a "catastrophic" situation.

Yemen is already facing a "disastrous" humanitarian situation, Mr Guterres told Paris Inter Radio, adding: "The hostilities must stop."

Image: A displaced child from Hodeidah sits next to food aid

The World Food Programme said last week it plans to double its food assistance programme, aiming to reach up to 14 million people "to avert mass starvation".

The port has been under blockade by the Saudi-led coalition for a year.

The alliance accuses Iran of smuggling arms to the Houthis through the Hodeidah port. Tehran denies the charges.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is to press for an end to the war in Yemen during his visit to Saudi Arabia this week.

"The human cost of war in Yemen is incalculable: with millions displaced, famine and disease rife and years of bloodshed, the only solution is now a political decision to set aside arms and pursue peace," Mr Hunt said in a statement.

"So today I am travelling to the Gulf to demand that all sides commit to this process."

The World Health Organisation estimates nearly 10,000 people have been killed in the Yemen war since 2015. But rights groups believe the toll may be five times as high.