08 February 2017•Update: 09 February 2017
By Mohamed al-Samei and Murad al-Erifi
SANAA, Yemen
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has voiced concern over civilians trapped in Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Mocha, the scene of fierce fighting between pro-government forces and Shia Houthi rebels.
"The ICRC is seriously concerned about civilians trapped in the crossfire," the organization tweeted Wednesday.
It went on to urge Yemen’s warring camps to "respect the rules of war and work to safeguard civilians".
A source near Mocha told Anadolu Agency that intense clashes were still underway in the city’s Al-Jaadi and Al-Amoudi districts amid attempts by pro-government forces to decisively establish control over the city.
The source, speaking anonymously due to security concerns, said tit-for-tat shelling between the two sides had destroyed a number of homes in the city and ignited a fire in its central market.
Mocha has been the scene of fierce fighting for weeks after pro-government forces advanced on the city.
While Houthi militiamen remain in control of several parts of the city, Mocha’s main entrances are now held by pro-government forces.
Earlier this month, Jamie McGoldrick, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, said between 20,000 and 30,000 people -- almost one third of the city’s population -- remain trapped in Mocha and "require immediate protection and relief assistance".
Yemen fell into civil war in 2014 after the Houthis and their allies overran capital Sanaa and other parts of the country, forcing members of the Saudi-backed government to temporarily flee to Riyadh.
The following year, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a major air campaign aimed at reversing Houthi military gains and shoring up Yemen’s embattled government.
