Saudis Propose That U.N. Run Airport in Yemen’s Capital 10, 2017 Saudi Arabia proposed on Thursday that the United Nations reopen and run the international airport in Yemen’s capital, which has been closed for a year because of a Saudi blockade to pressure the Houthi rebel movement. Jamie McGoldrick said that The reopening of Sana airport is essential to alleviate the suffering of the civilian population, The Saudi proposal, made by a spokesman for the military coalition that has been bombing the rebels in a war that began more than two years ago, appeared to take the United Nations by surprise. It came a day after international aid groups, vexed at what they called obstacles created by the Saudis that are hindering efforts to send relief supplies to Yemen, said that more civilians had died from deprivations attributable to Saudi restrictions on Yemeni airspace than from military airstrikes. "In our view, it’s part of a strategy to squeeze the civilian population of Yemen as part of the war effort." Saudi Arabia has denied that it is intentionally targeting civilians in the war, which has shown no sign of ending.
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