Yemen rebel authority slams Trump's Muslim ban

Donald Trump's controversial order to ban citizens of Yemen - along with six other Muslim-majority nations - is "illegal and illegitimate" authorities controlled by the Houthi rebel group in Yemen's capital said on Sunday.

A foreign ministry source "said emphatically that any attempt to classify Yemen or its citizens as a possible source of terrorism and extremism was illegal and illegitimate", the Houthi-controlled news agency SABA quoted.

Meanwhile, an official in the rival administation of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi - based in the southern port city of Aden - said on Saturday that it was "dismayed" by the visa ban.

Yemen has been rocked with more than two years of conflict which escalated when a Saudi-led coalition launched a military campaign to push back Houthi rebels from major cities.

More than 10,000 have so far been killed in the conflict - half of whom are civilians.

Millions more have been forced into displacement around the globe, with many Yemenis stuck in Egypt, Jordan and Malaysia among other nations.

The migrant crackdown, which also included a 120-day suspension of the US refugee resettlement programme, sparked protests across the United States on Saturday.

A federal judge blocked part of the temporary immigration ban, ordering authorities to stop deporting refugees and other travellers stuck at US airports.

However, airlines and customs officials are continuing to stick to the rules and not allowing in passport holders from the seven Muslim-majority countries.