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More than 116,000 civilians were displaced in 's central province of in 2021, Yemeni authoritiesÌý on Sunday.

The figure was provided by theÌýgovernment-affiliated Executive Unit for IDP's Camps Management, who said thatÌýover 2.2 million Yemenis hadÌýbeen overall since 2014.ÌýMarib was home to three million people prior to the conflict.

Fighting between the YemeniÌýgovernment forces and Houthi rebels has intensified over the past year in the province, considered by all partiesÌýas crucial because it is the internationally recognised government's last stronghold in North Yemen, and the country's sole gas producing region with one of its largest oilfields.

The war in Yemen is largely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels, whose popular base is in northern Yemen, ousted the Yemeni government from power and took control of the capital SanaaÌý in 2014.

The Houthi victoryÌýprompted Saudi Arabia to intervene in 2015, at the head of aÌýcoalition composed of mostly Gulf states.

The Saudi-led coalition backs the Yemeni government, now based in the south of the country, that isÌýseenÌýas a rampart against Iran's growing influence by neighbouring Gulf States.Ìý

The coalition's deadly airstrikes against the Houthis have received repeatedÌýcriticism from human rights watchdogs and theÌýdue to a high civilian death toll.

The war in Yemen has killed tens of thousands and caused what the United Nations describes as the world's largest humanitarian crisis.Ìý

The UN have warned that nearly 80 percent of the country (about 30 million people) areÌýin need of humanitarian assistance and more than 13 million are at risk of starvation.