Saudi coalition prepares for massive attack in Yemen

Saudi fighter jets dropped leaflets over Houthi-controlled Hodeida port in recent days warning its hundreds of thousands of residents of an impending offensive, according to the United Nations and aid agencies.

Yemen imports 90 percent of its food, and Hodeida's already-damaged port is the entry point for the vast majority of it. A two-year-long civil war has destroyed Yemen's economy, and more than 7 million people rely on humanitarian aid for survival.

Human rights activists have accused the Saudis of indiscriminate bombing in its campaign, saying it has killed thousands of civilians and reduced much of Yemen's vital infrastructure to rubble.

Washington post noted that "direct U.S. support for an offensive on the Houthis must be authorized by Congress".