Four of the port's five tugboats needed to escort the large ships bringing imports had sunk, while the fifth was damaged, a UN official has said.

The Sanaa-bsed HOCC, which liaises between Houthi forces and commercial shipping operators and is associated with the Houthi military, said it was stopping "sanctions" against vessels owned by U.S. or British individuals or entities, as well as ships sailing under their flags.

Operations at a Red Sea port in Yemen used for aid imports have fallen to about a quarter of its capacity, a UN official said on Tuesday, adding it was not certain that a Gaza ceasefire would end attacks between the Iran-backed Houthis and Israel.