Three Saudi civilians were killed in the Jizan province, in the south of the kingdom, as the Houthi movement launched a missile from Yemen, Saudi state media reported on Saturday night. The Saudi-led coalition said it would retaliate against anyone who threatens the safety of its citizens and residents. On Sunday, Egypt condemned the attack, saying that it stands with Saudi Arabia in confronting any assaults that could affect its stability and peace. In a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Egypt also expressed support for the kingdom in the fight against terrorism. Saudi Arabia formed the Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen in March 2015, after the Ansar Allah group, known as the Houthi, backed by Iran, seized control of the Yemeni capital Sanaa in September 2014. The Houthis have fired a series of missiles into the kingdom in recent months. Besides Saudi Arabia, the coalition includes the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Pakistan, Djibouti, Sudan, Senegal, Kuwait, Morocco, Malaysia, and Egypt, as well as the internationally recognised government of Yemen. Meanwhile, clashes have intensified between troops backed by the Saudi-led coalition and Houthis near Hudaydah port in Yemen, amid United Nations attempts to reach a ceasefire to avoid a possible attack on the city. Last week, the United States warned the United Arab Emirates of attacking Hudaydah, amid the UN warnings that an attack on the city could destroy the country's main lifeline and worsen a situation which is already described as the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. The US warnings came amid an operation carried out by Yemeni forces backed by the UAE to attack the port, which lies about 230 km away from the capital Sanaa and is controlled by the Houthi movement. The forces moved within 10 km of the port, which receives the biggest amount of humanitarian aid for the country. Ten days ago, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) raised concerns over the situation in Yemen and the potential situation in Hudaydah if the Saudi-led coalition enters the city, saying that more than 200,000 civilians could be displaced. “The ICRC, in line with international humanitarian law, urges all the parties to the conflict to respect civilian lives by taking every possible measure to protect civilians,” said the committee. More than 100,000 civilians have been killed since the beginning of the conflict in Yemen, while hundreds of thousands have been wounded. More than 22 million people are dependent on humanitarian assistance or protection, of whom about 8.4 million are severely food insecure and at risk of starvation.
