by Our Foreign Desk

HOUTHI Shi’ite rebels and their allies in the splintered armed forces announced yesterday that they would accept a five-day humanitarian ceasefire to allow aid to reach civilians.

The ceasefire, scheduled to begin tomorrow, would help ease the suffering of civilians who increasingly lack food, fuel and medicine since a Saudi-led bombing campaign began March 26.

However, the Houthis and their rebels warned that any breach of the ceasefire would lead to renewed hostilities.

Former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, whose supporters are in alliance with the Shi’ite rebels, was pictured yesterday in front of his house in the capital Sanaa after Saudi warplanes bombed it.

Dozens of air strikes hit the rebel-held capital on Saturday, forcing hundreds of families to flee the area.

The Riyadh monarchy had ordered civilians in rebel strongholds to flee by nightfall on Friday, declared the entire region a “military target.” Brigadier General Ahmed Ali Asiri said that the Saudi-led coalition had targeted multiple buildings belonging to the Houthi leadership, weapons stores and rebel encampments in the region bordering Saudi Arabia.

He accused the Houthis of preventing residents from leaving the area under fire.

Houthi spokesman Hamed al-Bokheiti said that, on the contrary, the rebels had opened camps in the capital to receive refugees and those who remain in Saada province are people who refused to leave.

“Saada is living through a day of complete humanitarian catastrophe,” Mr Bokheiti said, adding that the air strikes had damaged the historic Imam Hadi Mosque.

More than 20 raids targeted Marran, a small mountain town from which the Houthis originated.

The International Committee of the Red Cross warned the Saudi military: “With or without advance warning, direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects are prohibited.”

The Saudi-led offensive in support of exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, which started March 26, aims to diminish the military capabilities of the Houthis.

The United Nations says that the conflict has killed more than 1,400 people since March 19.