84 dead in fighting in Yemen's Hodeida after talks fail

Clashes and air strikes have left 84 people dead around Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeida since the collapse of UN-brokered peace talks, hospital sources said Sunday.

The sources in Hodeida province, controlled by Huthi rebels, said 11 soldiers and 73 insurgents had been killed since the talks were abandoned on Saturday.

Dozens of rebels and at least 17 soldiers had been wounded.

Attempted peace talks between Yemen's Saudi-backed government and the Huthis, linked to Saudi Arabia's arch-rival Iran, collapsed on Sunday, sparking fears of an escalation in the Yemen conflict.

The rebels refused to leave Yemen for Geneva, saying the UN had not met their demands -- including a plane to transport their wounded to nearby Oman and a guarantee their delegation would be allowed to return to the capital Sanaa.

In 2014, the Huthis seized control of a string of Red Sea ports and the capital, driving the government out of Sanaa and the president into exile.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the conflict to bolster President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, recognized by the UN as Yemen's president. They now control Yemen's airspace.

Nearly 10,000 people have since been killed and the country now stands at the brink of famine.

The coalition launched a major offensive to retake Hodeida, the entry point for some 70 percent of Yemen's imports including food and aid, in June.

In July, the coalition announced a temporary ceasefire to give a chance to UN-brokered peace talks.