The Coalition Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen Announces the Sustained Opening of Hudaydah Port for Additional Relief for 30 Days

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In line with the Coalition's continued commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to the Yemeni people; the Coalition Command announced that Hudaydah Port would continue to receive humanitarian relief supplies, and now, the Coalition will additionally allow the entry of commercial ships- including fuel and more food shipments- for a period of 30 days in order to implement the proposal of the UN Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Yemen concerning Hudaydah Port.

The Iranian-backed Houthi militia have leveraged their control over Hudaydah Port to enfranchise themselves by exploiting their access to aid and other resources for their own economic gain, as well as, sustain their military campaign against the Yemeni people and threaten neighboring countries. 

Their malign activities include: 

• Diverting aid, which results in the dilution of effective aid distribution to Yemeni people- creating a black market
• Extorting custom duties and fees on incoming goods
• Looting and distributing fuel products- creating a black market
• Smuggling in Iranian-supplied weaponry, which have been used against neighboring countries

The United Nations, among others, has documented these malign activities. 

These harmful and malicious acts, which are in direct violation of UN Security Res. 2216 and 2231, have led to heightened inspection procedures in Hudaydah Port; however, in spite of this, aid has been and will continue to flow in for the next 30 days.  

The Coalition countries revive the call of the UN Special Envoy of the Secretary General, which appeals to the United Nations to take control of the Port of Hudaydah from the Iranian-backed Houthi Militia who are delaying aid dissemination, and using the port to smuggle arms into Yemen.

SOURCE Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Information Office