Houthis and allies block humanitarian aid for Yemen

Yemen’s minister of local administration and head of the official High Aid Committee has revealed that the Houthi rebels and their allies from forces loyal to ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh have blocked dozens of aid ships and stolen humanitarian supplies from more than 550 land convoys, Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed reported on Sunday. Abdul-Raqib Saif Fath told the media that the militias have prevented the humanitarian and medical aid from reaching several governorates which are in urgent need of assistance.

The minister pointed out that the latest outrage was the burning of three trucks loaded with aid on the way to Al-Baydaa Governorate. They were donated by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Centre for Humanitarian Aid. Not only do the militias burn and steal aid, he explained, but they also undermine its distribution if it does actually get to its destination.

Fath added that Houthi control of Al-Hadaida port has been worrying the international community since the day that the group targeted the aid ships, the last of which was from the UAE and full of medical supplies. He condemned the continuous violations of international law by the militias which target humanitarian aid, and called upon the international community and the UN Security Council, as well as international NGOs, to condemn these crimes and put pressure on the militias to stop their attacks.

Read: 1 Yemeni dies of cholera every hour

UN aid relief arrives at the port of Hudaydah, Yemen on 4 February 2017 [Yemeni Activist‏/Twitter]