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Western countries shut embassies in Yemen

12 February 2015 03:10 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The United States, France andBritain have closed their respective embassies in Sana'a, amid ongoing turmoil in Yemen, APA reports quoting Anadolu Agency.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki confirmed in a statement early on Wednesday that U.S. embassy staff had been temporarily evacuated from the country and the embassy’s operations suspended.

“Recent unilateral actions disrupted the political transition process in Yemen, creating the risk that renewed violence would threaten Yemenis and the diplomatic community in Sana’a,” Psaki said.

French embassy officials said in a statement the mission would be closed until further notice from Friday, Feb. 13, and urged French nationals to leave the country as soon as possible.

"Given the political crisis in Yemen and the deterioration of the security situation, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius took the decision to temporarily close our embassy in Sana'a," French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll told a press conference in Paris.