The Dutch embassy in Yemen has closed its doors to the public. The foreign ministry says there is no direct threat and describes the move as a precaution.

The consular and visa departments will remain closed for the rest of the week. The security situation will be reviewed at the end of the week. Embassy staff will meanwhile continue working. Earlier today, Japan and France announced they were closing their embassies in the capital Sanaa. On Sunday, the United States and Britain shut their missions.

The authorities have issued a general travel warning for all non-essentials trips to Yemen. The Yemeni authorities have stepped up security at embassies and the capital's airport. The Nigerian who tried to blow up a US airliner on Christmas Day was allegedly trained by al-Qaeda militants in Yemen.

Sanaa (Photo: Flickr / Tom Vogler)