Yemen crisis: Saudi airstrike hits humanitarian aid office killing refugees

Saudi shells hit an international humanitarian aid office in Yemen killing at least five refugees in the shelter.

Local officials have said at least 10 others were injured when artillery fire struck the town of Maydee in Hajja province located in the restive Saudi-Yemen bordering region.

All the refugees are thought to be Ethiopian nationals.

Riyadh, however, deflected the blame on Houthis for the incident. Brigadier general Ahmed Asseri, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, told Reuters: "If the report is correct, it would be the responsibility of the Houthis, who have a big presence in the area."

The province had remained a key stronghold of the Shi'ite Houthi rebels before the Saudi-led coalition forces began to launch airstrikes in the region.

Despite several attempts, the ceasefire has not been fully effective in Yemen as Saudi forces continue to bomb Houthi targets. Fresh raids have been carried out against Houthi rebels in southern Yemen on Thursday, 21 May as well. This is despite the UN efforts to broker peace talks in a bid to resolve the crisis.

Meanwhile, a cargo ship carrying relief supplies from Iran, which is widely seen as supporting the Shi'ite Houthis, has arrived at Djibouti after diversion.

The US and Saudi coalition have been exhorting the Iranian cargo ship to dock at the tiny African country, where the UN is overseeing the aid operations, instead of proceeding directly to Yemen. The cargo ship was escorted by a frigate and a logistical ship.