The Yemeni public health authorities said in a statement that eight Yemenis died from the H1N1 flu in Sanaa in the past weeks, a local media outlet reported Monday.

The suspected H1N1 flu cases have reached 1,600 in several northern provinces since November, the Houthi-controlled Althawranews website quoted the statement as saying.

The rise in suspected cases was attributed to the low temperatures, it added.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 after the Houthi rebels overran the capital Sanaa and much of the country's north.

The conflict has destroyed the country's health system and triggered repeated deadly epidemics.

The United Nations is trying to resume peace talks between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels to end the civil war that has lasted more than four years. (Xinhua)