MSF suspends operations in Yemen

DUBAI: Doctors Without Borders said on Monday it had "temporarily frozen" operations in a rebel-held area of northwestern Yemen following an air raid on a cholera treatment centre it supports.

There were no casualties in the strike that hit the newly built clinic in the Abs region, which was empty at the time, said the charity, commonly known by its French initials MSF. "This morning’s attack on an MSF cholera treatment centre by the Saudi and Emirati-led coalition shows complete disrespect for medical facilities and patients," said MSF’s head of mission Joao Martins.

"MSF has temporarily frozen its activities in Abs until the safety of its staff and patients is guaranteed," he said. The charity said the facility’s roof clearly identified it as a medical centre and that its coordinates had been given to the coalition.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other allies intervened in Yemen in 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognised government to power after the Iran-backed Huthi rebels ousted it from swathes of the country including the capital Sanaa. Riyadh accuses its regional rival Tehran of supplying the Huthis -- who control Abs -- with ballistic missiles, a charge Iran denies.

A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition was not immediately available for comment. Since July 2015 MSF has supported the Abs hospital, just one kilometre away from the cholera treatment centre hit on Monday, according to the charity’s website.