Thousands protest in Yemen

Young and old, desk clerks and activists, Yemenis from all walks of life took to the streets yesterday to protest a Saudi-led blockade that has left thousands struggling to survive.

"This siege is oppressive, and the whole world is sleeping!" people chanted as thousands gathered outside the UN offices in the rebel-held capital Sanaa.

Their faces painted the colours of the Yemeni flag or in traditional dress, protesters marched to demand the end of a blockade on the country's ports, airports and border crossings, imposed last week by a Saudi-led military coalition battling the country's Huthi rebels.

A young girl had her face painted half black, half white -- her red flowered veil completing the colours of Yemen's national flag.

An elderly man had tucked a portrait of Shiite rebel leader Abdulmalik al-Huthi into his head wrap.

Saudi Arabia and its allies have said the tightening of restrictions on Yemen is a direct response to a missile attack against Riyadh earlier this month, claimed by the Iran-backed Huthis.

The United Nations last month blacklisted the Saudi-led coalition for the killing and maiming of children in Yemen.

The Yemen war has killed thousands and brought the impoverished country to the brink of famine, as the coalition continues to fight alongside the government against the Huthis and their ally, strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Saleh al-Samad, the head of the Huthi political council, demanded that the coalition end its blockade on Yemen -- where both parties in the conflict stand accused of neglecting civilian safety.