At least 398 children killed, 605 wounded in Yemen since conflict began

At least 398 children have been killed in Yemen since the conflict began this year, and 605 have been wounded, UNICEF reported on Wednesday, according to the Patria news agency.

Fighting in Yemen intensified in March, when ethnic Houthis, mostly Shiites, began advancing toward the former capital Aden, forcing President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee to Riyadh and triggering airstrikes by a Saudi-led coalition.

Ground forces pushed rebels back from key positions in central Yemen last week. Amnesty International believes that actions by both sides could be characterized as war crimes.

The Houthis, backed by military units loyal to Hadi's predecessor Ali Abdullah Saleh, are fighting against a range of local and tribal forces, Sunni Islamists, southern secessionists, and Al Qaeda militants.

According to United Nations data, 21 million people, or 80 percent of the country's total population, need humanitarian aid. Even before the outbreak of conflict, impoverished Yemen was facing shortages of food and water.