United Nations, Sep 15: UN humanitarians warned that hostilities in Yemen are forcing people to flee their homes, causing civilian casualties, and putting already stretched humanitarian operations under growing pressure.

Renewed fighting in Yemen has displaced at least 125,000 civilians since the start of September, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Monday (local time).

The UN Human Rights Office has verified 40 civilian casualties — eight dead and 32 injured in the first two weeks of this month. Women and children account for half of those killed and more than half of those injured, reports Xinhua news agency.

OCHA said the United Nations and its humanitarian partners continue to respond, despite extremely difficult operating conditions, providing aid to thousands of households as of Saturday. However, supplies are critically low, and funding is falling short of needs.

“Humanitarian access and movements remain severely constrained due to insecurity,” the office said. “Humanitarian movements into and within several locations on Yemen’s west coast remain suspended, while key roads are restricted or impassable. OCHA once again calls on all parties to protect civilians, respect international humanitarian law, and facilitate safe and unimpeded humanitarian access.”

Earlier this month, Yemen’s government forces said that more than 500 soldiers were killed and about 1,500 wounded in month-long battles with the Houthis along the western coast, as the group mounted a sweeping advance toward the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.

In a statement carried by Al-Joumhouriya TV, the government’s National Resistance Forces said the casualties were recorded between August 9 and September 10, while claiming that more than 1,000 Houthi members were killed and thousands wounded. The figures could not be independently verified.

The statement said the fighting began with Houthi missile, drone and explosive-boat attacks before expanding from Hays in the southern part of the Red Sea province of Hodeidah to several fronts in neighbouring southwestern Taiz province.

The casualties came amid a sweeping Houthi offensive launched on September 3 that rapidly redrew front lines along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, with the group capturing several government-held areas in Hodeidah province and neighbouring Taiz province.

Indore, Sep 15: A 16-year-old boy died, and another minor was critically injured after they were allegedly stabbed during a Ganesh festival procession in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place late Monday night in the Azad Nagar area when the two minors, who had come from Tejaji Nagar to participate in the procession, were dancing behind a DJ vehicle, police said.

The deceased was identified as Krishna Panwar, a resident of Asrawad Khurd, while his companion, Sahil, who was injured in the attack, was undergoing treatment in the ICU of MY Hospital, they said.

Azad Nagar police station in-charge Lokesh Bhadauria said the police received information from MY Hospital about the stabbing of the two boys.

“Krishna suffered a stab injury in his chest and died during treatment, while Sahil is undergoing treatment in the ICU. We have registered a murder case and are searching for the accused,” Bhadauria said.

According to police, more than nine DJ vehicles were moving through the area as part of the procession. Krishna and Sahil were dancing behind a DJ vehicle when an altercation allegedly broke out with a youth identified as Kushal alias Kunal.

The dispute escalated, and the accused allegedly attacked Krishna with a knife. When Sahil intervened, he too was stabbed, police said.

Both were rushed to MY Hospital in a critical condition, where Krishna succumbed to his injuries later in the night.

Bhadauria said one accused has been identified and police teams have been deployed to trace him.

“We are also examining the role of other persons who were present at the spot and are investigating whether anyone else was involved in the incident,” he said.

Police said a murder case has been registered, and further investigation is underway. More details are awaited. Meanwhile, the incident has led to tension in the area.

New Delhi, Sep 15: Gurugram biker Sia, who was hit by a car on the Golf Course Road last week, has questioned the law and order situation, asking whether authorities would act only after a biker is attacked and killed, while also raising questions about the restrictions imposed on motorists in the city, when the four-wheelers continue to engage in “rash driving”.

She urged authorities to take action against motorists who drive rashly.

Speaking to reporters, Sia said, “Until a biker gets hit and dies, will law and order not wake up? If you put so many restrictions on bikers in Gurugram, then you should also look at those driving four-wheelers. What are you doing about the people who are driving so rashly?”

“I don’t know when he first saw me because, look, I ride in my lane and watch out for myself. I don’t pay that much attention to which car is moving around me, who is inside or what is going on. The first thing was that he sped past very fast, right next to my bike. That is when I noticed him. I thought, ‘Okay, fine, it might have happened. He might not have seen me, or perhaps that person was in a hurry,'” she said.

“But if you have sped past that fast, then just keep going straight ahead, right? What sense does it make for you to stop ahead, make gestures at me, and then come from behind, hit me and run away? When he rolled down the windows of the car, I saw two people in the front,” she added.

“As far as I could tell, there were two people in the back as well. The car had completely tinted black windows, so I couldn’t see clearly. I couldn’t look with complete focus either because I was riding my bike,” Sia said.

She added that wearing protective riding gear helped prevent more serious injuries.

“I had my riding shoes on and my riding gloves, which have a feature that allows them to slide if you fall. If I hadn’t been wearing my riding shoes and gloves, then the way my hand hit the ground first, my shoulder or legs could have broken. We ride with some safety precautions, and that’s why,” she said.

Sia further said the incident had been widely discussed since Monday, with people expressing concern over the alleged conduct of the car driver.

“He hit a human being and left them on the road to die, and walked away. Even now, that person is roaming freely, giving soundbites to news reporters and presenting his defence. How is he getting so much time? Why isn’t the police arresting him?” she asked.