Egypt weighs defending Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks, wary of Yemen involvement

▲ Escalating

Houthis claim new strikes on Saudi targets as Taiz siege deepens humanitarian crisis

On Saturday the Houthis said they attacked Saudi oil facilities and airports, while Yemen's Saudi-backed government said the group fired three ballistic missiles at coast guard sites in Aden. On Sunday, Egypt was reported to be weighing whether to help defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks, with memories of its 1960s war in Yemen weighing on the decision. In Taiz, the Houthi encirclement continues to cut off aid and hospitals warn of collapse.

• The UN says more than 800,000 people have been cut off from aid since the Houthis encircled Taiz city in early October.
• A Taiz hospital warned on Saturday it could collapse within days because of shortages of fuel, medicines and oxygen.
• Yemeni government forces launched hundreds of strikes on Houthi locations around Taiz, a spokesperson said, and the UN says nearly 260,000 people are displaced.
• Saudi Arabia has scrapped events in the region after a deadly strike on Riyadh airport, while the Qatar MotoGP will go ahead.