Saudi-led coalition pledges to ease crippling Yemen blockade

SANAA, Yemen – The Saudi-led military coalition fighting Shiite rebels in Yemen said on Wednesday that it will reopen the war-torn country's main airport and a vital Red Sea port to some humanitarian aid shipments, easing a blockade imposed after rebels fired a missile toward the Saudi capital earlier this month.

The easing is to begin on Thursday. The airport in the capital of Sanaa would reopen to UN aircraft and the sea port of Hodeida would be able to receive urgent humanitarian aid, the coalition statement said.

It was not immediately clear, however, if port operations will return to the pre-blockade level.