Inside Yemen's war-torn capital
CBS News correspondent Clarisa Ward and her team got rare access to witness and report on the destruction in Yemen's capital, Sanaa. Houthi rebel forces swept to power last fall, ousting the president. At least 1,300 civilians have been killed and some of the country's most precious heritage destroyed.
At left, Ward stands by a crater left by an airstrike in front of the Yemeni Ministry of Defense in Sanaa, which along with the rest of the capital has been seized by the Houthi forces.
Sanaa, Yemen
Upon arriving at the airport in Sanaa, one of the first sites to greet the CBS News team was an plane nearly cut in half by an airstrike from the Saudi-led coalition that has been waging an air war against the rebels.
Sanaa, Yemen
Producer Erin Lyall (front center), cameraman Ian Robbie and correspondent Clarissa Ward walk through the streets of Sanaa, Yemen, trailed by an entourage of Houthi Yemeni officials.
Sanaa, Yemen
Clarissa Ward stands next to a car destroyed in a Saudi-led coalition airstrike in the mountains outside of Sanaa, Yemem.
Sanaa, Yemen
Clarissa Ward and two Yemeni Houthi militiamen walk amid the rubble of buildings destroyed in the Old City of Yemen's capital, Sanaa. This part of Sanaa -- a UNESCO World Heritage Center -- dates back 2,500 years and is one of the longest-continually inhabited cities on Earth.
Sanaa, Yemen
A stuffed animal toy is seen amid the rubble of a building destroyed by a Saudi-led coalition airstrike in Sanaa, Yemen.
Sanaa, Yemen
A view of buildings in Sanaa's Old City, Yemen.
Sanaa, Yemen
A building badly damaged by fighting in Sanaa, Yemen.
Sanaa Yemen
Airstrike destruction in Sanaa, Yemen.
Sanaa, Yemen
Yemeni Houthi security forces search other men at a checkpoint in Sanaa. They security forces are only looking for bombs. The men are allowed to pass with their janbiyas (traditional curved daggers worn in the belt as an accessory by most men in the region once they reach their teen years), and their AK-47s, which can be found in most Yemeni households.
Sanaa, Yemen
Clarissa Ward reports from the middle of a rally by Houthi militiamen denouncing the Saudi-led military campaign against the Houthis in Sanaa, Yemen.
Sanaa, Yemen
Houthi Shiite Muslims attend a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, denouncing the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi rebels who have swept to power in the capital city, and their U.S. backers.
Sanaa, Yemen
A Houthi boy, who told CBS News producer Erin Lyall he was 12 years old, joins other members of the Shiite militia at a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, carrying an AK-47 and with a cheek stuffed full of khat, a plant chewed widely by men in the region as a mild stimulant drug. His father, also at the rally, told Lyall candidly that the boy was actually 10.
Sanaa, Yemen
Houthis man a donation box for their war effort against the Saudi-led coalition during a rally in Sanaa, Yemen. Money and bullets accepted in equal measure.
Sanaa, Yemen
CBS News producer Erin Lyall looks on as cameraman Ian Robbie shoots video of destruction wrought by Saudi-led coaltion airstrikes in the Old City of Sanaa, Yemen.
Sanaa, Yemen
A young Yemeni boy collects provisions distributed by the World Food Programme in Sanaa. Yemen is the poorest nation in the Arab world, and the war raging across the country for the last several months has made it very difficult for aid agencies to move resources around safely. There are long lines on a daily basis for basic provisions like food, fuel and water.
Sanaa, Yemen
Graffiti on a school in Sanaa, Yemen, reads: "Save us from Saudi bombs"