Kerry to Meet Ousted Yemeni President Hadi in Saudi Arabia on Thursday

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet Yemen’s ousted president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi on Thursday during a visit to Saudi Arabia, a US State Department official told Sputnik.

“We can confirm the meeting. We don’t have any further information at this time,” the official said, referring to a meeting between Kerry and Hadi in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Kerry arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday evening ahead of high-level talks with Saudi Arabian King Salman and top Saudi officials to discuss regional security issues and the ongoing conflict in Yemen.

In nearby Djibouti on Wednesday, Kerry announced the United States would provide $68 million in humanitarian aid in response to a mounting humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

On March 26, the Saudi-led coalition of Arab states started conducting airstrikes in Yemen targeting Houthi rebel positions at the request of Hadi. Yemen has been engulfed in violence and political deadlock since late 2014, when the rebels took control over large swathes of the country, including the capital Sanaa, and ousted president Hadi earlier this year.

According to the World Health Organization, a total of 1,200 people have been killed and over 5,000 wounded in the ongoing bombing campaign against Shiite Houthis.

The United Nations urged in April to arrange a humanitarian pause in Yemen conflict to allow aid deliveries to the country.