SAADA, Yemen: In the north of the country, Yemen's military offensive against Zaidi Shia fighters has forced thousands of civilians to flee their homes in the region.

According to local residents government's operation against Houthi fighters --involving air strikes, artillery and tanks-- has disrupted their normal life and made them to flee the region for their lives. They fear being mistaken for enemies by either side.

There are also reports suggesting that some residents of Saada city, who are trapped in the fighting, are paying to be smuggled out.

The offensive however has led the country into a humanitarian crisis prompting a United Nations warning against the situation on Tuesday.

"The escalation of fighting between Al-Huthi rebels and the government forces in northern Yemen over the past few days is worsening what is already a dire and complex humanitarian emergency," said Andrej Mahecic, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency.

Citing data from local authorities, The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said an estimated 119,000 people from the northwest Yemeni town of Saada are currently displaced.
Yemen's army and the Houthis have been battling off an on since 2004.

The Houthis say they are defending themselves against religious oppression.