-- al qaeda in the arabian peninsula, and now the houthis, with their hostile message to america and its allies: >> narrator: journalist safa al ahmad spent months reporting from the middle of the conflict. >> narrator: she negotiated rare access to the houthi rebels as they advanced. >> narrator: and she traveled into the heartland of al qaeda to meet the houthis' bitter rivals. >> narrator: from inside yemen, the story of how the houthi rebels ignited a battle that has turned an american ally into a warzone of anti-american militants. >> narrator: with a saudi led coalition trying to break the houthis hold... (explosion) frontline investigates "the fight for yemen." >> frontlinis made possible by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. and by the corporation for public broadcasting. major support for frontliis provided by the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation, committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world. more information is available at macfound.org. additional support is provided by the park foundation, dedicated to heighte

region, united states forces are not conducting hostilities against houthi forces in yemen. the initial resolution also neglected a key facet of the yemen crisis. and that is iran. which has been providing increasing support, very any fares support, -- nefarious support, to the houthi rebels. we must not forget that in april of 2015 the u.n. security council, acting under chapter seven of the u.n. charter, condemned the violent houthi government overthrow, quote, in the strongest terms. and obligated all u.n. member states to comply with and enforce and embargo on arms and military assistance, quote, of all types, unquote. to the houthi forces. this makes iran's acts to fuel this deadly conflict a gross violation of international law. as our ambassador has pointed out. i am glad that the newhouse resolution, 599, addresses these shortcomings and i rise to support it today. even before this latest conflict , yemen was the poorest country in the region. it was racked by violence and unrest. for years the countries of north and south yemen were in conflict , before they became a single sta

conducting hostilities against houthi forces in yemen. the initial resolution also neglected a key facet of the yemen crisis. and that is iran. which has been providing increasing support, very any fares support, -- nefarious support, to the houthi rebels. we must not forget that in april of 2015 the u.n. security council, acting under chapter seven of the u.n. charter, condemned the violent houthi government overthrow, quote, in the strongest terms. and obligated all u.n. member states to comply with and enforce and embargo on arms and military assistance, quote, of all types, unquote. to the houthi forces. this makes iran's acts to fuel this deadly conflict a gross violation of international law. as our ambassador has pointed out. i am glad that the newhouse resolution, 599, addresses these shortcomings and i rise to support it today. even before this latest conflict , yemen was the poorest country in the region. it was racked by violence and unrest. for years the countries of north and south yemen were in conflict , before they became a single state. that was in 1990. after an u

over the capital, riyadh. officials believe the weapon was fired from yemen, where houthi rebels backed by iran are fighting the saudi—backed government. mohamed taha from bbc arabic says it's clear the houthis intended to cause major damage. —— and in a further development in the region, iran has rejected accusations by the lebanese prime minister that it's spreading violence across the middle east. saad hariri resigned from his post unexpectedly, saying he feared for his life. iranian officials say his resignation is a saudi plot to create tension. martin patience reports from beirut. it is an honour to be here with you, mr president. for the prime minister of a small nation, saad al—hariri has had some very powerful friends. that is because lebanon matters in the middle east. it is a country outsiders fight to control. and today, an extraordinary sign of that — the prime minister resigned, saying he feared assassination. speaking from saudi arabia, which backs him, saad al—hariri fired this warning to iran. translation: i want to say to iran and its followers that they ar

to the international airport. where houthi rebels are fighting the saudi—backed government. there are no reports of any damage. evidence to support that claim. to a major population centre. with me is mohamed taha from bbc arabic. claim is correct is why riyadh have reacted. they have reacted quickly? is, it has been intercepted or not, but you know. but you know. there is fire and explosion in part of the airport. of the airport. normally, are happening normally and movement happening normally. movement happening normally. managed to get to riyadh is significant. significant. is often described as the forgotten war. war. it goes through months without making the international news. making the international news. very little humanitarian aid. little humanitarian aid. difficult for journalists to find out what is going on. out what is going on. on the international agenda, how busy is the airport? busy is the airport? airport with the capital and it has two terminals, north and south. two terminals, north and south. saudi arabia, riyadh‘s capital is a big capital, is a business h

the houthi rebels backed by iran. and after a rocket was fired towards the saudi capital towards the middle of the month said it had and it's blockade of that country. now the un wants the saudis to open the main seaport for aid. lister said has spoken to the saudi minister of foreign affairs in riyadh. we are by far the largest provider of humanitarian assistance, no country has provided more aid to yemen and saudi arabia. when will the airport open? when the houthis handed it over to the un, as they said they would month ago, when they hand over the sport as they said they would for almost a year, then they would for almost a year, then the port will be opened. —— when they hand over the port. other airports in yemen have been opened, there are a number of ports along there are a number of ports along the red sea and the arabian sea that open and are being used, we are increasing capacity there. we bring in humanitarian assistance into yemen, and fortunately a large percentage of humanitarian assistance provided by saudi arabia and other countries is subject to looting by the h

capital, riyadh. officials believe the weapon was fired from yemen, where houthi rebels, backed by iran, are fighting the saudi—backed government. mohamed taha from bbc arabic says it's clear the houthis intended to cause major damage. it couldn't be denied because, as you said, whether the missile or parts of it hit the airport or a building in the airport, whether it has been intercepted or not, but you know, and at the end of the day, there is fire, there is explosion in parts of the airport. the fact that this missile managed to get to riyadh is significant. mohamad taha of bbc arabic. and in a further development in the region, iran has rejected accusations by the lebanese prime minister that it's spreading violence across the middle east. saad hariri resigned from his post unexpectedly, saying he feared for his life. iranian officials say his resignation is a saudi plot to create tension in lebanon and the region. martin patience reports from beirut. for the prime minister of a small nation, saad al—hariri has had some very powerful friends. that is because lebanon matter

allowed in, millions more lives will be at risk. the crisis began in 2015, when houthi rebels — backed by iran — ousted the president and took control of parts of the country. a coalition, led by saudi arabia, then began a campaign of airstrikes, to try to restore the government. two years on, extreme hunger and disease are killing an estimated 130 children every day. the conflict has left 80% of the country in need of humanitarian aid. seven million people are fully reliant on food aid, much of which is now not able to get through because of a blockade. from yemen, my colleague, clive myrie, sent this extended report. this is a story about war and its humiliations. the stripping of dignity. but it's also about the desert trek to safety. it's a story of survival. there's panic at a school in the yemeni capital, sana'a. a city under houthi rebel control. frenzied shouting a saudi—coalition air strike targeting a nearby building has blown out the school's windows. in this conflict, death can come from the air at any time — for kids, as well as soldiers. what began as a civil war has b

unless aid is allowed in millions more lives will be at risk. the crisis began in 2015 when houthi rebels backed by iran, ousted the president and took control of parts of the country. a coalition led by saudi arabia then began a campaign of airstrikes to try to restore the government. two years on, extreme hunger and disease are killing an estimated 130 children every day. the conflict has left 80% of the country in need of humanitarian aid. seven million people are fully reliant on food aid much of which is now not able to get through because of a blockade. from yemen, my colleague clive myrie sent this extended report. this is a story about war and its humiliations. the stripping of dignity. but it's also about the desert trek to safety. it's a story of survival. there's panic at a school in the yemeni capital, sana'a. a city under houthi rebel control. frenzied shouting. a saudi—coalition air strike targeting a nearby building has blown out the school's windows. in this conflict, death can come from the air at any time — for kids, as well as soldiers. what began as a civil

under houthi rebel control. death can come at any houthi rebel control. death can come atany time houthi rebel control. death can come at any time the kids as well as military. a saudi coalition air strike targeting a nearby building has blown out the school's windows. in this conflict, death can come from the air at any time, for kids, as well as soldiers. what began as a civil war has become a proxy struggle between saudi arabia, backing yemen's government, and iran, alleged to be backing the rebels. the houthis claim this is a bomb from the attack that didn't explode. apart from arms dealers, this conflict has no winners, and civilians are the biggest losers. imagine what those displaced by the war are running from, if this is what they're running to. saila ali ahmed and little ayeeshia, who is seven months old, fled their home the night the bombs fell. translation: it was like thunder and lightning in the sky. we were scared and took our children, but left everything else behind. we don't have food. 0ur men don't have jobs. they go to market looking for work, but when they com

from yemen, where houthi rebels, backed by iran, are fighting the saudi—backed government. mohamed taha from bbc arabic says it's clear the houthis intended to cause major damage. they likely came from iran to put pressure on the saudi arabian government, which has been bombarding yemen for several years now. next and unrelated move that several prominent princes, including several prominent princes, including several ministers, had been detained ina several ministers, had been detained in a sweeping anticorruption purge led by the crown prince. the heir to the throne has been moving fast to consolidate his growing power while spearheading a modernising reform programme. this latest move will now give him a nominal control of all the country's security forces but at the country's security forces but at the same time the removal of —— from office is bound to upset more conservative elements. saudi arabia isa conservative elements. saudi arabia is a deeply tribal society, an used to change. it is currently conducting a war against yemen, another against so—called islamic state and a

on the ongoing conflict of saudi arabia and houthi rebels. they say they shot down a missile aimed at the airport in riyadh. we understand no one injured but the debris was found near the airport and the missile fired by the houthis who have attacked saudi arabia in the past. first time that a heavily populated area was targeted. saudi arabia then retaliated with an air strike in another area. in this continuing conflict, john, a sense that saudi arabia could be targeted with a little more sophistication, that these major population centers are at greater risk from the houthis? >> george, yeah, a bold move targeting the capital of riyadh. a population of better than 5 million poem aeople and interced by a patriot missile and no real damage but debris was near the airport which i flew into last week. definitely a number of alarms. they suggest they have been doing investigates on the whereabouts of the influence of iran on the missile technology in yemen. they back the houthis there and they took credit for the tack and say it was intercepted after all. the crown prince in his conso

every day is a day too long. they need the main red sea port opened immediately. >> the houthis destroyed the cranes and charge money, ransom for every ship that docks. the houthis proceeded to steal the humanitarian assistance offloaded and fund their war machine. riyadh --war reached and the war reached riyadh november 4. houthi rebels fired this long-range listed mistral. saudi arabia -- long-range listed missile. saudi arabia called it an act of war. will enter this port until the u.n. controls it. >> what would you do if a ballistic missile hit london heathrow airport? wouldn't you take precautions to protect your people? lyse: with all do respect, the united nations says all sides theguilty here, causing deaths of civilians. but the overwhelming majority are because of the bombardment by the saudi-led coalition. hollings were in yemen this week and they saw the results of the saudi-led coalition bombardment. our more steps going to be taken to protect civilians? >> we have taken steps where there are complaints and we make amends. this is something the houthis don't do. wi

by houthi rebels. the bbc‘s nawal al—maghafi who has frequently reported from yemen has the latest. a country struggling to survive. the war in yemen between houthi and a coalition read by saudi arabia is 110w coalition read by saudi arabia is now in its third year. —— houthi rebels. over the course of the war, i have visited multiple times. each time, the people's preparation was evident. the humanitarian situation deteriorating rapidly. aid agencies have been struggling to save yemen from the threat of famine. and it seems there is another blow for the civilians caught in the middle of the war. on saturday, houthi rebels launch a missile to the heart of saudi arabia's capital, riyadh. the strike was intercepted, but it was clearly a n strike was intercepted, but it was clearly an escalation in the conflict. in retaliation, saudi arabia decided to close all of yemen's ports and land crossings, preventing critical humanitarian aid deliveries and commercial supplies to reach any country. so what impact will this plot could have? yemen relies on imports for 80% of its food, fuel, an

houthi rebels — backed by iran — ousted the president and took control of much of the country. a coalition led by saudi arabia then began a campaign of air strikes to try to restore the government. the saudis have now cut off access to the international airport and to major red sea ports, including al hudaydah, to try to cut off supplies to the rebels. our chief international correspondent lyse doucet reports. yemen the world's worst humanitarian crisis. now on the brink of an even greater catastrophe. ten days ago, all its airand greater catastrophe. ten days ago, all its air and sea ports were shut by neighbouring saudi arabia. and now the un is warning untold thousands of innocent victims will die if age doesn't enter now. today in riyadh die if age doesn't enter now. today in riyath die if age doesn't enter now. today in riyadh i sat down with the saudi foreign minister. the united kingdom and your other allies have called for the immediate resumption of un aid flights to yemen, and the opening of the port. we said these measures are temporary in order to make sure we have me

lies with houthi rebels in yemen. the un says that thousands of civilians will die unless aid is allowed into the country. the saudis have now cut off access to the international airport and to major red sea ports, including al hodaydah, to try to block supplies to the rebels. 0ur chief international correspondent, lyse doucet, reports. yemen, the world's worst humanitarian crisis. now on the brink of an even greater catastrophe. ten days ago, all its air and sea ports were shut by neighbouring saudi arabia. and now the un is warning untold thousands of innocent victims will die if age doesn't enter now. today in riyadh, i sat down with the saudi foreign minister. the united kingdom and your other allies have called for the immediate resumption of un aid flights to yemen, and the opening of the port. we said these measures are temporary in order to make sure we that have mechanisms to prevent the smuggling of weapons and missiles that can be launched in saudi arabia from yemen. within a matter of days we reopened the ports. the un has said every day is one day too long, they need

of al hudaydah, the houthis destroyed the cranes at the port of al hudaydah. they steal the humanitarian assistance and proceed to sell it to fund their war machine. and the war reached riyadh on november 4th. houthi rebels fired this long—range ballistic missile, intercepted over the international airport. saudi arabia called it an act of war, accusing iran of smuggling the missile through hudaydah. they say no aid will enter this port until the un controls it. what would you do if a ballistic missile hit london heathrow airport? wouldn't you take precautions to protect your people? we've had more than 70 ballistic missiles launched at our country. with all due respect, the un has said all sides are guilty here for causing the deaths of civilians, but the overwhelming majority are because of the bombardment by the saudi led coalition. my bbc colleagues were in yemen this week and saw the results of the saudi led coalition bombardment. are more steps going to be taken to protect civilians? we've taken steps. where there are complaints we investigate and make amends. this i

. >>> since that attack happened, less than a day after houthi rebels in yemen fired a missile at saudi arabia's capital city. the saudi defense system intercepted the missile near the airport in riyadh. no one was injured, but it did prompt a saudi air strike on sanaa. a lot to talk about here. with us, john defterios on the story. he's covered saudi arabia for many years, live for us in abu dhabi. good to have you with us. in this conflict, this ongoing conflict, is there a sense now that saudi arabia could be targeted more? are the houthis gaining sophistication and abilities here to strike saudi arabia? >> i think less on sophistication, there is some dispute, george, about the backing from tehran and whether they're providing the missile technology that we saw launched against riyadh. it was an audacious attempt to go after the saudi capital. yes, indeed, it takes this conflict into a new realm. that missile attack was intercepted by a patriot missile. this was a disputed by a yemeni official overnight, but there was no casualties, and no real damage, though debris was spread east

red sea port opened immediately. i think the issue of al hudaydah, the houthis destroyed the cranes at the port of al hudaydah. they steal the humanitarian assistance and proceed to sell it to fund their war machine. and the war reached riyadh on november 4th. houthi rebels fired this long—range ballistic missile, intercepted over the international airport. saudi arabia called it an act of war, accusing iran of smuggling the missile through hudaydah. they say no aid will enter this port until the un controls it. what would you do if a ballistic missile hit london heathrow airport? wouldn't you take precautions to protect your people? we've had more than 70 ballistic missiles launched at our country. with all due respect, the un has said all sides are guilty here for causing the deaths of civilians, but the overwhelming majority are because of the bombardment by the saudi led coalition. my bbc colleagues were in yemen this week and saw the results of the saudi led coalition bombardment. are more steps going to be taken to protect civilians? we've taken steps. where there are compla

, air and sea ports on monday, in response to a missile attack on riyadh by houthi rebels. the bbc‘s nawal al maghafi has reported frequently from yemen — she has the latest. a country struggling to survive. the war in yemen between houthi rebels and a coalition lead ——led by saudi arabia is now in its third year. over the course of the war, i have visited the country multiple times. each time, the people's desperation was evident, the humanitarian situation deteriorating rapidly. aid agencies have been struggling to save yemen from the threat of famine. and it seems there is another blow for the civilians caught in the middle of this war. on saturday, houthi rebels launched a missile to the heart of saudi arabia's capital, riyadh. the strike was intercepted, but it was a clear escalation in the conflict. allahu akbar! in retaliation, saudi arabia decided to close all of yemen's airports, sea ports, and land crossings, preventing critical humanitarian aid deliveries and commercial supplies from reaching country. so what impact will this blockade could have? yemen relies on impo

under houthi rebel control. frenzied shouting. a saudi—coalition air strike targeting a nearby building has blown out the school's windows. in this conflict, death can come from the air at any time — for kids, as well as soldiers. what began as a civil war has become a proxy struggle between saudi arabia, backing yemen's government, and iran, alleged to be backing the rebels. the houthis claim this is a bomb from the attack that didn't explode. several countries, including the uk and america, have sold billions of pounds' worth of weapons to saudi arabia during this war. apart from arms dealers, this conflict has no winners, and civilians are the biggest losers. imagine what those displaced by the war are running from, if this is what they're running to. dusty, makeshift desert settlements across yemen, home to three million people and counting. but it's a pitiful existence in a place like this, in the middle of a pitiless war. only the most basic shelter protects from the unrelenting sun and the sand of the desert. yemen, already the arab world's poorest nation, is now on its knees.

hudaydah, the houthis destroyed the cranes at the port of al hudaydah. they charge money for every ship that docks there and then they steal the humanitarian assistance and proceed to sell it to fund their war machine. and the war reached riyadh on november 4th. houthi rebels fired this long—range ballistic missile, intercepted over the international airport. saudi arabia called it an act of war, accusing iran of smuggling the missile through hudaydah. they say no aid will enter this port until the un controls it. what would you do if a ballistic missile hit london heathrow airport? wouldn't you take precautions to protect your people? we have had more than 70 ballistic missiles launched at our country. with all due respect, the un has said all sides are guilty here for causing the deaths of civilians, but the overwhelming majority are because of the bombardment by the saudi led coalition. my bbc colleagues were in yemen this week and saw the results of the saudi led coalition bombardment. are more steps going to be taken to protect civilians? we've taken steps. where there are c

sea routes into yemen after houthi rebels fired a missile that was intercepted near the saudi capital riyadh. saudi arabia says its blockade is needed to stop iran from sending weapons to the rebels. u.n. aid chief mark lowcock warned that if the blockade is not lifted, the resulting famine will claim millions of lives. he was speaking to reporters after a briefing at the u.n. security council. >> there will be a famine in yemen. it will not be like the famine that we saw in south sudan earlier in the year were tens of thousands of people were affected. it will not be like the famine which cost 250,000 people their lives in somalia in 2011. it will be the largest famine the world has seen for many decades with millions of victims. said -- the. aid u.n. says aid agencies were given no prior notice of the saudi decision to shut down all land, air, and seaports in yemen. the world food program said monday that out of yemen's population of 28 million people, about 20 million "do not know where they're going to get their next meal." meanwhile, medical experts warn the clampdown will worsen

conflict >> reporter: on one side of the conflict: houthi rebels who deposed a saudi-allied government. the houthis are said to be allied with iran, though how much is in dispute. on the other, a saudi led coalition backed by u.s. weapons and logistics. the houthis launched a missile at the saudi capital, riyadh. it was their furthest incursion into saudi arabia. saudi officials say the missile was supplied by iran, and they shut down access to yemen's sea and airports. a u.s. air force official in the region said remains of the rocket bore iranian markings. iran has long denied supplying rockets to yemen's houthi rebels. as the war grinds on, yemen endures what the united nations calls the fastest growing cholera epidemic in history. nearly 900,000 people have the illness, half of them children. more than 2,000 yemenis have died in the epidemic. the u.n. predicts one million cholera cases by january. >> it affected the vast majority of the country, with patients reported from every corner of yemen and it's compounded by the fact that the health system has already collapsed in many res

is according to the charity save the children. the crisis began in 2015 when houthi rebels believed to be backed by iran ousted the president and took control of parts of the country. a coalition led by saudi arabia began a campaign of air strikes in an attempt to restore the government. clive myrie has been to the front line city of taiz, where fierce fighting continues. it shouldn't be like this — children fed through plastic tubes, not because of nature, but because of man. nuwara is two years old and acutely malnourished. her skin, starved of nutrients, is flaky. she's a prime target for infections that could kill her. translation: she had diarrhoea and vomiting when we first came to the hospital. now they feed her through a pipe. there seems to be nothing we can do. who can i blame? i don't know. the tragedy of the yemen war is that nuwara is far from alone in her suffering, there are half a million other children straddling life—and—death. it's estimated a child is dying of a preventable disease here every ten minutes. the city of taiz, population 600,000, sums up yemen'

international airport in riyadh. saudi arabia is currently leading a campaign against houthi militia in yemen. houthi sources there have confirmed that they fired the missile and that the airport was its target. a seven—year—old girl has died after suffering critical injuries in an incident at a house in south—west london yesterday. 55—year—old robert peters, whom officers say was known to the victim, appeared in court today charged with attempted murder. he's been remanded in custody until december. the white house has attempted to downplay the findings of a report which goes against the trump administration's view on climate change. the study, compiled by us government scientists said it was "extremely likely" — with 95% to 100% certainty — that global warming is man—made, mostly from carbon dioxide through the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. earlier i spoke with michael oppenheimer, professor of geosciences at princeton university: the main thing that stands out is that it reconfirms the long—standing understanding of global warming mainly that human made gas

crisis began in 2015 went when houthi rebels, believed to be backed by iran, ousted the president and took control of parts of the country. a coalition led by saudi arabia began a campaign of airstrikes to restore the government. in the second part of this special report from yemen, the bbc goes to the frontline city of taiz, where fierce fighting is continuing. reporter: it shouldn't be like this. children fed through plastic tubes, not because of nature, but because of man. she is two years old and acutely malnourished, her skin starved of nutrients, is flaky. she is a prime target for infections that could kill her. >> she had diarrhea and vomiting when we first came to the hospital. now they feed her through a pipe. there seems to be nothing we can do. who can i blame? i don't know. reporter: the tragedy of the yemen war is that she is far from alone in her suffering. there are half a million other children straddling life-and-death. it is estimated a child is dying of a preventable disease here every 10 minutes. the city of taiz, population 600,000, sums up yemen's dystopian

houthis, with their hostile message to america and its allies: >> narrator: journalist safa al ahmad spent months reporting from the middle of the conflict. >> narrator: she negotiated rare access to the houthi rebels as they advanced. >> narrator: and she traveled into the heartland of al qaeda

, do you think that saudi arabia has exaggerated or given too much the houthis? is that threat genuine? >> well, obviously the houthis theirready swept out of traditional strongholds. had taken sanab by 2014. hehink it was the same night came into power, that the president was imprisoned temporarily, so the government same night that he came to power. the houthis had an alliance of convenience with the hiser president, who had own interest in destabilizing his successor. think yemen is a warning of what happens in a transition former leader is still playing an active political role. this hasn't happened in any of the other states that went through a regime change, as a 2011 uprisings. of course, it made for a very unlikely pair of partners, given the series of wars that had been yemeni government with the houthis between 2004 and '10. maybe there was an overreaction in terms of imagining this to be another sort of front organization. but as with the missile that we saw two weeks ago, that kind of has become a self-fulfilling it's created the conditions for the breakdown of auth

known as houthis, are supported by saudi arabia's arch-enemy, iran, the leader of the shia world. houthi rebels have plenty of blood on their hands, including the deaths of 1,000 civilians. but the united nations says the saudi coalition has killed more than 3,000 civilians; bombing schools, hospitals and this, al kubra hall, scene of a funeral last year. 132 civilians were killed, nearly 700 wounded. still, the deadliest weapon in yemen is a blockade holding up food, fuel and medical aid. >> beasley: we can't get our ships in. they get blocked. >> pelley: who blocks the ports? >> beasley: the saudi coalition. >> pelley: david beasley told us the saudis bombed the cranes that unload ships. the u.s. sent replacement cranes, but the saudis won't let them in. >> beasley: we ask any, any parties engaged in this conflict to respect humanitarian law, respect the rights of innocent people and give us the access that we need to provide the help that's needed. >> pelley: it sounds like the saudis are using starvation as a weapon. >> beasley: i don't think there's any question the saudi- l

pressure. food and medical aid were allowed to enter parts of yemen controlled by houthi fighters for the first time in three weeks. the blockade contributed to the country's catastrophic food crisis and cholera epidemic. the detail news. >> reporter: the details are staggering, the images heartbreaking. yet there seems to be no end in sight for what appears the world's biggest crisis. a u.n. plane carrying urge gently needed vaccines for more than half a million children made it into sanaa on saturday. speaking to a man in sunday, a top u.n. official warned that this is not enough. >> so yesterday it's just a small step forward. we hope that this step forward will be sustained. but as i said, there are many more steps to follow. so yesterday was not an end. it is just a very small step. >> reporter: the saudi-led coalition that has been locked in this two and a half year ward of houthi rebels of tightly held territory including the capital sanaa earlier this week. saudi arabia intercepted a missile targeting riyadh. they said the blockade was to stop shipments to the houthis. it

, a ballistic missile fired by houthi rebels in yemen reportedly reached the capital, riyadh, before they were shot down. this is a big step, they are using ballistic missiles, long—range missiles, likely from iran to put pressure on the saudi arabian government which has been bombarding yemen for years now. next in an unrelated move came the news that several prominent princes including serving ministers had been detained in a sweeping anti—corruption purge led by the crown prince mohammed bin salman. the heir to the throne has been moving fast to consolidate his growing power while spearheading a modern reform programme. this move will now give him nominal control of all the country's security forces but at the same time the removal from office of several well known figures is sure to upset some more conservative elements. saudi arabia is a deeply tribal society, unused to sudden change. it's currently conducting a war in yemen, another against so—called islamic state and a boycott of qatar. what is clear is that the mohammed bin salman regime is struggling very much. he's tr

this year from hunger or disease. the crisis began in 2015 when houthi rebels, backed by iran, ousted the president and took control of parts of the country. a coalition, led by saudi arabia, then began a campaign of airstrikes to try to restore the government. the united nations estimates that nearly seven million people are now under imminent threat of starvation. well, in the second of his extended reports from yemen, my colleague clive myrie and cameraman nick millard have been to the front—line city of taiz, where there's no let up in the fighting. and a warning, there are some distressing images from the start. it shouldn't be like this, children fed through plastic tubes, not because of nature, but because of man. nuwara is two years old and acutely malnourished. her skin, starved of nutrients, is flaky. she's a prime target for infections that could kill her. translation: she had diarrhoea and vomiting when we first came to the hospital. now they feed her through a pipe. there seems to be nothing we can do. who can i blame? i don't know. the tragedy of the yemen war