The United Nations called on Monday for a humanitarian pause in theYemeni capital of Sanaa on Tuesday to allow civilians to leave their homes, aid workers to reach them, and the wounded to get medical care.

Jamie McGoldrick, U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, said in a statement that the streets of Sanaa had become "battlegrounds" and that aid workers "remain in lockdown".

"Thus, I call on all parties to the conflict to urgently enable a humanitarian pause on Tuesday 5 December, between 10:00 a.m. and 16:00 p.m. to allow civilians to leave their homes and seek assistance and protection and to facilitate the movement of aid workers to ensure the continuity of life-saving programmes," he said.

McGoldrick warned the warring parties that any deliberate attacks against civilians, and against civilian and medical infrastructure, are "clear violations of international humanitarian law and may constitute war crimes".