The victim is Rasha Abdullah, 27, who died after a bomb placed in her car blew up. Her husband, who was wounded, blames Houthis. He believes they were looking for his home address for some time. In Hudaydah, Saudi planes violated the ceasefire at least 172 times in 24 hours.
Aden (AsiaNews/Agencies) – A pregnant Yemeni journalist, Rasha Abdullah, was killed yesterday in a bomb attack in Aden, southern Yemen, as she was making her way to the hospital to give birth.
Her husband, Mahmoud al-Atmi, was also wounded from a bomb planted in their car. Despite the lack of evidence or any claim of responsibility, he blames Houthi Shia rebels.
Aden, where the attack took place, is the temporary seat of the country’s internationally recognised government.
In the past, a separatist movement close to the United Arab Emirates was active in the region, clashing with government forces backed by Saudi Arabia.
This fuelled tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, but the crisis was settled when separatists joined the national government, united by the common opposition to the Houthis.
Rasha Abdullah, 27, and her husband worked for a number of local and regional media, covering the war in Yemen and humanitarian issues. The couple have a two-year-old child.
So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but al-Atmi's suspicions are set on the Houthi because "They were trying to find out my home address," he told AFP.
In Aden, the latest attack is not an isolated incident. Last month a car bomb killed 12 civilians, including children. In the past, journalists were targets or collateral damage of the fighting.
The war in Yemen broke out in 2014 pitting the pro-Saudi government and Shia Houthi rebels close to Iran.
In March 2015, the conflict took a turn for the worse when Saudi Arabia decided to intervene directly.
Since fighting broke out, more than 130,000 people have died in what the United Nations calls the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world”, made worst by the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At present, millions of people are on the verge of starvation with children most at risk. Since fighting broke out about 10,000 children have died. For them, the consequences of the war are likely to persist for the next 20 years.
Meanwhile, in al-Hudaydah, a coastal governorate in the east of the country, planes from the Saudi-led Arab coalition violated the ceasefire 172 times in the last 24 hours.
The provincial capital, also called al Hudaydah, is a strategic point for the passage of goods and people and another hot spot of the conflict.
Saudi attacks also continued elsewhere in the country against strategic targets, including Saada and Ma'rib.
The military operations, described by some as "aggressions", will likely fuel anti-Saudi protest for non-compliance with the Stockholm Agreement.