UN envoy in talks with Yemen's Huthis on fate of key port

A UN envoy was in Yemen today for talks with Huthi rebels about de-escalating the fighting around the key port of Hodeida, a major entry point for humanitarian aid, a spokesman said.

Martin Griffiths was in the rebel-held capital Sanaa also to discuss a resumption of talks on ending the three-year war with the Saudi-led coalition, said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

"The special envoy is discussing with the parties the steps they could take to de-escalate tension, including on Hodeida," said Dujarric, who did not provide details.

Yemeni forces, backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are closing in on Hodeida, a Red Sea port that the coalition maintains has been used by the Huthis to smuggle weapons.

More than 100 soldiers and insurgents have been killed in the battle for Hodeida in less than a week, according to medics and military sources. Griffiths is due to report to the UN Security Council on June 18 on his peace efforts.

More than 22 million people in Yemen are in need of aid -- 8.4 million of whom are on the brink of starvation, according to the United Nations which considers Yemen to be the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has been leading a military campaign to push back the Huthis and restore the internationally recognised government to power.

The conflict has left nearly 10,000 people dead in Yemen, already the Arab world's poorest country.