ISLAMABAD, Jul 4 (APP):The Yemeni government has to initiate operation to liberate the Hodeida port and Hodeida city from the Houthis militia after their refusal to accept a political and diplomatic solution in order to secure the transfer of urgently-needed humanitarian goods to Yemen.
According to a press release of Embassy of the Republic of Yemen issued here Wednesday, the port of Hodeida is an important access point for humanitarian and food aid to Yemen, which has been seized by Houthi militia since 2015.
The Houthis’ presence in Hodeida operation, their mismanagement and neglect of the port and its facilities, as well as their delay and seizing of essential humanitarian supplies, have substantially contributed to worsening of the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
In addition, Houthi militias have used Hodeida to raise substantial revenue to finance their ongoing campaign against the people of Yemen and to smuggle weapons and ballistic missiles into the country that have been used to target cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and some Yemeni cities like Marib.
The UN-led negotiation over handing over the port authority and its facilities to a third party has been ongoing over a year with no clear result in sight. While the legitimate government and its supportive Arab coalition have supported the UN envoy’s initiatives and thoughts, including the last efforts by the envoy Martin Griffith for transferring of the port of Hodeida to neutral party, Houthis militia have rejected them as they rejected all the previous initiatives.
The aim of the Hodeida port operation, the statement said, were also to improve the humanitarian situation in Yemen by increasing the efficiency of the port and its facilities and transfer of larger volume of humanitarian aid besides ensuring the aid was no longer misused by Houthi militia to finance and prolong the war.
The Yemini government reconfirms its commitment to continue the liberation of all areas in Yemen from the grip of the Houthis militia and achieve peace and stability in the country, the embassy statement added.