UN says 10,000 civilians killed, wounded in Yemen conflict

SANAA, Yemen – The U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator says a “minimum” of 10,000 people have been killed and wounded in Yemen’s conflict.

Jamie McGoldrick provided the updated toll to reporters in the capital, Sanaa, on Tuesday. When asked by The Associated Press if he was referring to civilians, he said, “I never address combatants.”

Yemen’s conflict pits an internationally recognized government and a Saudi-led coalition against Shiite Houthi rebels and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was forced from power in 2012 following an Arab Spring uprising. Local affiliates of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have exploited the chaos to expand their reach.

A day earlier, McGoldrick called for the reopening of the airport and the resumption of commercial flights into Sanaa, which fell to the Houthis in September 2014.