Yemeni Officials Say Government Forces Retake Strategic City

Yemeni government officials say that on Tuesday, government forces retook an important city in the Hodeidah province from Houthi Shiite militants, which could cut off the rebels' supply lines. According to the Associated Press, Yemeni officials stated that government forces, supported by airstrikes from a Saudi-led military coalition, managed to capture the city of Hays after two weeks of intense fighting with Houthi rebels. They reported that at least 85 combatants from both sides were killed in the last 48 hours of battles. In Yemen, government forces recognized by the international community are fighting against Houthi Shiite militants backed by Iran, who control a large part of the north of the country, including the capital, Sana'a. Yemeni officials said the aim of the government forces' operation is to cut the communication lines of the Houthi rebels from the central province of Ibb towards Hodeidah. The International Red Cross warned on Tuesday that if medicines and needs for dialysis centers in Yemen are not provided soon and staff salaries are not paid, thousands of kidney failure patients will lose their lives. The head of the Red Cross delegation in Yemen stated, "The urgent needs of kidney patients clearly show the extent of the devastation of medical services in Yemen, which will negatively impact the health of many people in the long term." The statement noted that since the escalation of the war in Yemen in 2015, about 25 percent of dialysis patients have died every day. To prevent an increase in mortality due to this disease, there is an urgent need for dialysis machines and budget to pay the salaries of the staff at these centers. The war in Yemen has been in a devastating and deadly stalemate for the past three years. So far, more than 10,000 people have been killed, over two million have become homeless, and cholera has spread widely. In related news, Saudi Arabia reported the destruction of another Houthi missile.