YEMEN
American citizens have been evacuated from Yemen as the war intensifies in the country. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi

Hundreds of Americans have been rescued from Yemen in the face of Saudi Arabia-led air strikes against Houthi rebels.

The American ambassador confirmed in his Twitter account a total of 178 American diplomats and workers, and 125 other embassy staff in Yemen were taken to neighbouring Djibouti - 30 kilometres across the Red Sea.

They were met by official American embassy personnel in Djibouti, said an American foreign ministry spokesperson.

The American embassy in Djibouti has already been facilitated to ease the process when US families decide to leave Yemen.

The American government has now transferred its embassy in Yemen to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

It is 21 days today (15/04/2015) since the war began in Yemen. It remains unclear why the US government did not evacuate its people in the early days of the war, with three navy ships in nearby waters.

Both India and Russia played a major part in the evacuation operation taking place in Yemen. It is estimated that 23 countries have requested the help of India.

The Russian Ambassador in the UK has also indicated in his Twitter account that various countries have sought Russia to assist in the evacuation operation.

Saudi Arabia