Yemen gov’t, Saudi-led coalition under fire amid rebel onslaught on Marib

SANAA, Yemen

Six political parties have accused the Yemeni government and the Saudi-led coalition of failing Marib amid a rebel offensive on the central province.

“The legitimate government has failed to shoulder its responsibility in the political, military, economic and media fields,” the parties said in a statement.

They also regretted the poor performance of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

Leading among signatories of the statement are the General People's Congress, the Yemeni Congregation for Reform, the Yemeni Socialist Party and the Nasserist Unionist People's Organization.

There was no comment from either the government or the Saudi-led coalition on the statement.

In recent weeks, Houthi rebels made military gains in Marib province amid a fierce fighting with government forces and allied tribesmen.

Since February, Iran-aligned Houthis 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.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara