Lull in hostilities ends as street fighting breaks out and Saudi-led coalition launches airstrikes on Houthi rebels

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Vicious fighting described by residents as the worst so far has flared up in Yemen’s vital port city, Hodeidah, despite calls for a ceasefire from the UN and promises from both the Saudi-led coalition and Houthi rebels to consider a truce.

A lull in combat was shattered on Monday night by intense street fighting that was edging towards the city centre and at least 12 coalition airstrikes on eastern districts, locals said. The jets were met with Houthi anti-aircraft fire. “We are facing indiscriminate bombing from both sides,” said local Ibrahim Seif.

There were no immediate details of any casualties.

Although the Houthis said on Monday they would stop firing rockets into neighbouring Saudi Arabia as part of peace efforts – their most significant concession in years – the declaration was followed by a retaliatory missile attack on a coalition position near the Saudi border.

The fresh violence is a blow to frantic diplomatic efforts by the UN’s special envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, and the UK, the current security council pen holder, or lead state for drafting decisions.

At a meeting of the security council on Monday, the UK tabled a draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the battle for Hodeidah and guarantees from both parties of safe delivery of food and medicine to Yemen’s 14 million starving people.

It is unclear when there will be a vote on the resolution, which faces significant opposition from Gulf states, which are fighting against the Houthis to restore Yemen’s internationally recognised government. Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reportedly “threw a fit” when shown a copy of the draft by the British foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, during a visit to Riyadh last week.

The coalition wants to retake Hodeidah in order to clear a path to Sana’a, the rebel-held capital, the capture of which it believes will end the war.

Hodeidah is arguably the most important city in Yemen because of its port, through which 80% of the country’s commercial goods, aid and fuel flows. A full-scale offensive has been delayed several times after warnings from aid agencies that even a small amount of damage to the port’s facilities and a halt in aid deliveries would exponentially increase the suffering of a country already gripped by a malnutrition crisis and the worst cholera outbreak in modern history.

Also on Tuesday, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi pledged $500m in aid designed to ward off a declaration of famine by the UN.

Fighting within the densely populated city has killed at least 150 people in the last two weeks and led more than 445,000 to flee since the summer.

While Griffiths said last week that both sides had agreed to peace talks in Sweden “soon”, there remain many stumbling blocks before the two sides arrive at the negotiation table, and the new violence threatens to undo confidence-building measures already agreed, such as the evacuation of wounded Houthi fighters to neighbouring Oman.

Griffiths is due to make a second visit to Sana’a this week to convince the rebel leadership to attend the talks in Sweden.

Talks in Geneva in September collapsed after the Houthi delegation failed to attend after three days, citing security concerns.