Saudi Arabia has asked the United Nations to move aid workers away from areas in Yemen Thursday as the Riyadh-led coalition presses on with air strikes against insurgents.

The United Nations flatly rejected the request by the Saudi Arabia on Thursday to move aid workers away from areas in Yemen, as the Riyadh-led coalition presses on with air strikes against the Yemeni vital civic infrastructure.

UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien said in a letter to Saudi Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi that relief organizations were "delivering life-saving assistance as per internationally recognized principles and will continue to do so," reminding him of the Saudi obligations to allow humanitarian access in Yemen, where coalition warplanes have been pounding people and infrastructure for nearly a year.

Responding to O'Brien, the ambassador renewed the coalition's request that "humanitarian and relief organizations relocate from areas close to bases for military operations by supporters" of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Responding to O'Brien, the ambassador renewed the coalition's request that "humanitarian and relief organizations relocate from areas close to bases for military operations by supporters" of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The United Nations has had several disputes with Saudi Arabia over aid access in Yemen, where 80 percent of the population is facing dire food shortages.

O'Brien told Saudi Arabia that aid workers would continue to inform coalition authorities of their movements.

UN and international aid workers have passed on their coordinates to coalition military authorities to ensure they are not inadvertently targeted.

The Saudi-led coalition is backing Yemen's fugitive and retired president Abed Rabbu Mansour Hadi against the Yemeni people, national military and Popular Committees forces.

More than 6,100 people have been killed in the conflict since March, according to UN estimates.

The UN Security Council will discuss the Saudi war on Yemen at a meeting on Wednesday.