Civilians bearing brunt of Yemen's crisis

 
CNN)The chaos in Yemen, now the scene of some of the most chaotic fighting in the Middle East, has given rise to scenes at once familiar and terrifying. Civilians -- noncombatants, both locals and foreigners --have been caught in the crossfire of what amounts to someone else's war.

Those trying to escape the violence, either by leaving their homes or by leaving the country altogether, have been flung into a vortex of fear, fatigue, flight and death.

Explosions have shattered the windows of residents of Sanaa, the country's capital. The fighting has killed hundreds of people in less than two weeks.

At least 74 children are known to have been killed and 44 children maimed since the fighting began on March 26, UNICEF said in a statement on Monday.

16 million without electricity

Over the weekend, a Saudi-led coalition smashed parts of Yemen's Defense Ministry Central Command in the capital, senior Yemeni officials said.

Under the rain of bombs, the Houthis, who are Shiites in a majority Sunni country, still control Sanaa. But the airstrikes have destroyed much of the city's infrastructure.

The electricity has gone out on 16 million Yemenis living in Houthi-held areas, the Yemeni officials said. Many fear they will lose access to clean water as well.

"Scared families rushing away in cars with smashed windows & suitcases & mattresses on the roof," tweeted Robert Mardini, head of operations for the Middle East for the International Committee of the Red Cross.