Tens of civilians were killed and injured after Houthi militants attacked their boats with rockets in Yemen's southern port city of Aden on Wednesday, local sources said.
The militants targeted the boats carrying families that were fleeing violence in the Tuwahi district, they said. Children were among the victims, they added.
The sources did not give details whether those injured were rescued and treated or not.
The Houthi militants with support from forces loyal to the former president seized the district after days of fierce confrontations with pro-government forces popular resistance fighters, a spokesperson for the Houthi militant group said today.
Hundreds of families have been fleeing Aden because of the escalating violence.
Locals said most of the fleeing families lived in the Tuwahi, Dar Saad and Khour Maksar areas and that their exodus started after militants shelled residences and populated blocks randomly.
Aden along with Taiz and Dhale, all in the south, were lately declared as cities stricken by all problems due to violence.
The Houthi militants have been besieging Aden for several weeks forcing people to stay indoors to suffer from lacks of food, water and power.
The humanitarian situation in the three cities has fast deteriorated in the past few weeks.
More than 1000 people have been killed and more than 4000 others wounded mostly in Aden, the high relief committee said.
A blockade, imposed by Arab countries that have been conducting airstrikes on the Houthi militants since March 26, adds to the crisis.
It has affected all imports and exports leaving the country to face acute shortages of fuels as well. As a result, hospitals have shut down.
On Tuesday, relief organizations warned their operations in days due to lack of fuels and safe passages to deliver aid while urging the blockade be lifted immediately.