By Ali Semerci and Murad el-Ureyfi

AL HUDAYDAH, Yemen

At least seven civilians were killed when shelling by Houthi rebels hit a village in western Yemen, hospital sources said on Wednesday.

The fatalities include women and children. Two others were injured during shelling in a village in the coastal city of Al Hudaydah, sources at a local state hospital said.

On Monday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that around 35,000 families have been displaced from Al-Hudaydah amid fighting between government forces and Houthi rebels.

Last month, Yemeni government forces backed by a Saudi-led military coalition began a wide-ranging operation to retake the Al-Hudaydah province -- and its strategic seaport -- from the rebels.

Earlier this month, however, the United Arab Emirates, which is a member of the Saudi-led coalition, announced a pause in military operations in the port city.

According to the UN office, Al-Hudaydah city is relatively calm following an announced pause in military operations by the Saudi-led coalition.

Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when the Houthis overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies -- who accuse the Shia Houthis of serving as Iranian proxies -- launched a massive air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.