Jamal Benomar had recently irked Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations for his handling of so far unsuccessful peace talks between Houthi rebels and Yemeni government.
With most people living off the land and about 90 per cent of Yemen’s water resources used in agriculture, Yemenis are especially vulnerable when conflicts disrupt farm production.
The Iran-allied Houthi militia has weathered seven days of Saudi-led air strikes and continued to advance on several fronts, with support from army units loyal to Saleh.
The strike are aimed at stopping the Houthis from taking more territory and pressing them to negotiate a power-sharing deal with President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.