UNICEF provides aid to thousands of displaced Yemenis in Marib

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Sunday it has provided humanitarian aid to thousands of displaced Yemenis in the central Marib province.

"In Marib, displaced families continue to move from one camp to another seeking safety and humanitarian aid," UNICEF said in a statement.

The UN agency said it supported around 7,600 people in one of the new camps for displaced Yemenis.

UNICEF is "providing 113,000 cubic meters of clean water on a daily basis," it said, adding that it distributed 1,330 hygiene kits, installed 78 temporary latrines and 13 water distribution points for easy access water.

The Yemeni government says the Houthi military escalation in Marib caused the displacement of nearly 100,000 people since September 2021.

Since February, Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have stepped up attacks to take control of the oil-rich Marib province, one of the most important strongholds of the legitimate government and home to the headquarters of Yemen's Defense Ministry.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation and caused one of the world's worst man-made humanitarian crises, with 233,000 people killed, nearly 80% or about 30 million needing humanitarian assistance and protection, and more than 13 million in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.