A new wave of airstrikes pounded Yemen's capital city of Sana'a on Monday as the Middle East's poorest country continues to struggle amid a growing crisis.
The lives of Sana'a's two million people have ground to a halt in recent weeks. Residents are staying inside their homes, some inside basements. Schools have shut down, and hundreds have fled the attacks.
Monday's blasts sent plumes of smoke into the sky, which reporters and others in the area captured in photos and on video.
#Sanaa on Fire as many airstrikes by #OpDecisiveStorm hitting many places in the city. #yemen pic.twitter.com/kVh1GuwHy2— * Ahmed Sayaghi * (@AhmedSayaghi) April 6, 2015
Airstrikes led by Saudi Arabia, which is allied with the Yemeni government, have ravaged parts of Yemen for nearly two weeks. The air assault began recently, after Yemeni rebels known as Houthis took over Sana'a.
Saudi Arabia has said Iran -- a regional rival -- provides the Houthis with weapons, though the rebels have denied this. Meanwhile, the United States is providing Saudi Arabia with intelligence and logistical support for its airstrikes.
The rebels have recently initiated a series of offensives, taking territory apart from their stronghold in the north of the country. They routed government forces to the point that Yemen President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi fled to Saudi Arabia in late March.
The Houthis, who practice a branch of Shiite Islam known as Zaidism, have felt marginalized by Hadi's government for some time. The majority of Yemenis practice Sunni Islam.
I was just informed that the #Sanaa reserve of fuel is attacked in Subaha mount by the Special Forces Base. #Yemen pic.twitter.com/X4CCY1yJpT— Mohammed Al-Asaadi (@alasaadim) April 6, 2015
Saudi Arabia and a coalition of other nations have destroyed Houthi military supplies and convoys, but they also control Yemen's airspace and have blockaded its ports. Without access to its ports, Yemen will not be able to import food, which the nation relies on heavily to feed its population.
The International Committee of the Red Cross was reportedly scheduled to deliver much-needed aid to Sana'a on Monday, though it's unclear whether the delivery was successful.