Thousands of Yemeni children fleeing Hodeidah as fighting continues – aid group

About 3,000 Yemeni children are fleeing every day from the port city of Hodeida as fighting between the Saudi-led coalition and Yemen’s Shiite rebels continues, an international aid group said on Thursday. According to Save the Children, 6,238 people – half of them children – leave Hodeida on average every day, but their trek to safer areas is perilous, AP reported. The aid group says families often find themselves “having to brave minefields, airstrikes and being forced to cross areas of active fighting all in a bid to escape” Hodeida. Save the Children has urged warring parties in Yemen to join UN peace efforts. The Saudi-led coalition, backing Yemen’s internationally recognized government, seeks to retake rebel-held areas along the western coast, including Hodeida, a vital lifeline for most Yemenis.