(Seychelles News Agency) - The UAE Charge d’ Affaires statement on Hodeida Port liberation operations

H.E. Ahmed saeed Alneyadi the UAE Charge d’ affaires in Victoria has said that the intervention of the Arab Coalition in Yemen and the ongoing operations around Hodeida port area, are based on the request of the legitimate Yemeni Government and in compliance with all relevant UN Security Council Resolutions on the crisis, including UN Security Council Resolutions 2216, 2204, 2201, 2140.

The Charge d’ affaires in a statement today affirmed that Arab Coalition operations to liberate Hodeida are aimed at allowing Yemen’s legitimate government to restore security and stability to the strategic port, and to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the country, and to break the deadlock in the political process.

Houthi militias have exploited Hadeida port to prolong the war and the suffering of the Yemeni people by using the port to smuggle Iranian supplied arms and ballistic missiles into the country to target Saudi cities including Haram Sharif in the two Holy cities of Makah and Madinatul Munawwarah, and misusing the port’s revenues to finance their ongoing brutal militancy campaign, he explained.

Alneyadi further added that Houthi’s mismanagement of the port and seizure of humanitarian supplies has had a catastrophic impact on the humanitarian situation in Yemen. While the coalition’s aid shipments have frequently been confiscated by militias and found their way to the black market, this has not derailed the coalition’s commitment to alleviate the humanitarian crisis.

The Charge d’ affaires also explained that in light of the Houthi’s failure to accept a political solution, and their repeated refusal to UN Envoy’s proposals to hand over the port, the Arab Coalition dad no option but to pursue a military solution in order to protect innocent Yemeni civilians and to ensure a safe passage of aid shipments.

H.E. Ahmed Alneyadi assured that the Arab Coalition remains committed to working with the international community to ensure that the port’s liberation will have an immediate impact on increasing the volume of much needed humanitarian aid to the country. He stated that the Hodeida port remains open to shipping and besides the Coalition aid which exceeded US$14 billion to Yemen, it will continue to work with aid agencies on the ground to ensure that once the port is liberated we will quickly increase the capacity of the port and the amount of aid flowing through it."

The Charge d’ affaires added that the Arab Coalition has notified the United Nations, and other NGOs of its planned actions and has ensured the safe passage of their staff from Hodeida ahead of time, as the Coalition successfully implemented similar large-scale operations when it liberated Aden, Mukalla and Mocha which led to a considerable improvement in the lives of their people. In each area the Coalition has liberated, the local people are now better off than under Houthi or AQAP control.

H.E. clarified that the seizure of the port from the Houthi militants is aimed at tipping the scales in favor of reaching a political solution, and reigniting the momentum in the stalled UN negotiations, as by increasing the efficiency of the port and ensuring that the disbursement of aid will no longer be controlled and abused by Houthi militias, Hodeida’s liberation will serve to alleviate the needs of the Yemeni people and provide new momentum for finding a long term solution to the crisis.