UNSC holds a session to discuss situation in Yemen

Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Jamie McGoldrick has expressed his deep concern over the continuing obstruction to the timely provision of aid to people in need in Yemen. He said that, for months, humanitarian partners have experienced delays by “authorities in Sana’a” to facilitate the entry of aid workers into Yemen; interference in the delivery of aid and the choice of implementing partners; and hijacking of aid vehicles.

Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, quoted McGoldrick as saying that there have been increased incidents where aid was diverted from the intended beneficiaries in areas under the control of the Sana’a authorities. He also said that, as basic social services in Yemen are near collapse, there is mounting pressure on aid agencies to expand the humanitarian response.

But he stressed that ensuring unhindered humanitarian access is essential to save the lives of those who depend on assistance, particularly as Yemen is facing an unprecedented cholera crisis and more than 7 million people are at risk of famine. Furthermore, ships that enter the Yemeni Hodeida Port, which falls under the control of insurgents, are being subject to blackmailing and illegal practices by Houthis.

A commercial ship named “ALLIANCE,” which transports food to Yemen, complained that ships arriving at Hodeida Port are falling victim to illegal practices and are facing several risks, a reliable source told Asharq Al-Awsat. He said these practices make the port unsafe.

UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed had asked the Security Council that the Houthi militias and forces of the ousted Saleh hand out the port to an impartial party, a matter that was welcomed by the coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it was installing four cranes at three ports in Yemen to help boost humanitarian aid deliveries and was ready to assist with installing cranes at the key port of Hodeidah once it was under control of a neutral party.

The Saudi mission to the United Nations said in a statement that the cranes were being installed at the ports of Aden, Mukalla and Al-Mokha - which are all under the control of a Saudi-led military coalition fighting in Yemen.

The coalition has said it was determined to help Yemen's government retake all areas of the country held by Houthi militia, including Hodeidah port, and would ensure alternative entry routes for badly needed food and medicine.

The United Nations has worked to avert attacks on Hodeidah, a vital Red Sea aid delivery point for millions of Yemenis in danger of slipping into famine. Around 80 percent of Yemen's food imports arrive via Hodeidah.

"Saudi Arabia is deeply concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation," it said. "We have always supported every effort to ensure that the people of Yemen receive the aid and relief they require especially in times of crisis."

The coalition began an air campaign in March 2015 to help defeat the Iran-allied Houthi rebels.

Five Hodeidah cranes have been destroyed by coalition air strikes, forcing ships to line up offshore because they could not be unloaded. The United Nations has said the coalition prevented it from delivering mobile cranes to the port earlier this year.

The coalition has accused the Houthis of using the port to smuggle weapons and ammunition and has called for U.N. monitors to be posted there. The Houthi movement denies the allegations.

The United Nations has proposed that Hodeidah be handed to a neutral party to smooth the flow of humanitarian relief and prevent the port being engulfed by Yemen's two-year-old war.

"The coalition reaffirms its readiness to facilitate the immediate installation of cranes at the port of Hodeidah, in line with the secretary-General's special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed latest proposals," the Saudi statement said.

The United Nations Security Council urged the warring parties in Yemen in June to reach a U.N. brokered deal on management of Hodeidah and resumption of government salary payments as the country slides closer to famine.

Top U.N. officials last month accused the parties fighting in Yemen and their international allies of fueling an unprecedented deadly cholera outbreak, driving millions closer to famine and hindering humanitarian aid access.