Saudi Arabia announced an easing of its 18-month air blockade of areas of Yemen held by the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, on Wednesday (October 12th) to allow the evacuation of hundreds of wounded from a deadly weekend airstrike, AFP reported.
More than 140 people were killed in Saturday's raid on a funeral in Sanaa, with the UN reporting that at least 525 more were wounded.
More than 300 are in critical condition and need medical treatment abroad, Sanaa health authority spokesman Tamim al-Shami said Sunday.
King Salman instructed aid officials to co-ordinate with the coalition and the Yemeni government "to facilitate the evacuation of those wounded... and needing treatment abroad", the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
The coalition has enforced an air and sea blockade on areas held by the Houthis, with exceptions made only for UN flights and UN-supervised aid deliveries, most of them through the Red Sea port of al-Hodeidah.
