More than 70 civilians killed by the Saudi-UAE coalition in Yemen

The last 48 hours in Yemen have brought more death and destruction in war-ravaged Yemen as the Saudi and UAE backed coalition continue to bomb the beleaguered nation. 

Fresh fighting has led to more 71 civilians being killed with more than 60 fighters also dead as Saudi-backed rebels push an offensive against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

On the outskirts of the capital Sanaa, a witness told AFP that seven members of the same family including women and children were killed by a coalition airstrike on Monday.

Saudi-backed rebels and coalition forces have been advancing along the Red Sea coast, seizing the town of Khokha earlier this month.

The stated goal is to reach Hodeida, Yemen's second largest port and a key entry point for aid to the country, which the UN has warned faces "the largest famine the world has seen for many decades."

Cholera outbreak 'exaggerated'

The Saudi-led coalition bombing Yemen responded to an announcement by the International Committee of the Red Cross that cholera cases in the country had reached one million suspected cases, saying it was exaggerated.

"It is nearly impossible to accurately determine whether the suspected cases are cholera or simple diarrhoea," a statement by the spokesperson for the coalition said.

Cholera flared up in April and spread rapidly, killing 2,227 people but the death rate has since fallen dramatically.

The Saudi coalition bombing Yemen has not offered any numbers to contradict the Red Cross figures on cholera. 

There continues to be widespread condemnation of Saudi and UAE bombing of Yemen that has resulted in a high number of civilians being killed.

According to the UN, the war has killed more than 10,000 people and injured more than 40,000 to date.