Yemen Urges Firm Action Against Houthis to Resume Oil Exports

Houthis aboard a vehicle in one of the streets of Sanaa, Yemen  (EPA)
Houthis aboard a vehicle in one of the streets of Sanaa, Yemen (EPA)
TT

Yemen Urges Firm Action Against Houthis to Resume Oil Exports

Houthis aboard a vehicle in one of the streets of Sanaa, Yemen  (EPA)
Houthis aboard a vehicle in one of the streets of Sanaa, Yemen (EPA)

The Yemeni government is calling on the international community to take firm stances and measures against the Houthi group. It also urged efforts to resume oil exports, which have been halted for a year due to Houthi attacks on export ports.

This call from the Yemeni government comes at a time when the Houthi group continues to violate the ceasefire, particularly in southwestern Taiz fronts.

This is happening concurrently with suppression campaigns targeting those demanding their salaries in areas under Houthi control.

With over 80% of Yemenis enduring dire circumstances due to the ongoing war and Houthi insurgency, the government emphasized, during its address to the 54th session of the Human Rights Council, the necessity of enabling it to resume oil exports.

This would allow the government to fulfill its urgent financial obligations to its citizens, including paying salaries that support the population in coping with challenging living conditions and financing food imports into both government-controlled areas and Houthi-run regions.

Nabil Abdulhafiz, the Deputy Minister of Human Rights in the Yemeni government, reaffirmed the support for the National Committee to investigate allegations of human rights violations.

The committee is regarded as an independent national mechanism that efficiently and independently carries out its work, receiving all necessary facilitations and cooperation to uncover the truth, achieve accountability, justice, and provide reparations to victims.

The Yemeni government called upon the members of the Human Rights Council to address the human rights situation in Yemen.

The appeal stems from Yemen’s need for support, technical assistance, and capacity-building to enable the government to meet its human rights commitments.

The government is also seeking to encourage and support the committee in continuing its mission to ensure accountability and justice.

Moreover, Abdulhafiz said that recent steps taken in reshaping the Supreme Judicial Council are evidence of the Presidential Leadership Council’s commitment to achieving justice and revitalizing its institutions.

Abdulhafiz further noted that his country’s government “remains committed to the humanitarian ceasefire and the execution of all its provisions, while militias continue to defy their obligations, including opening crossings and roads between all Yemeni cities and lifting the siege on the city of Taiz.”

The Yemeni official accused the Houthi group of persistently violating and attacking civilians and displacement camps in areas such as Marib, Al-Dhale, Hodeidah, and Taiz.

These provocations manifest in their military build-up, parades, threats, and the unlawful use of military force.

Abdulhafiz urged the international community and the Human Rights Council to press the Houthi militias to cease their violations, halt their looting of Yemeni resources, and cease targeting vital facilities and infrastructure.



Israeli Drone Strike Wounds 5 in South Lebanon as Residents Demand to Return to Their Land

Destroyed houses are pictured in the southern village of Marwahin as families return with the Lebanese army to the area, on January 28, 2025. (AFP)
Destroyed houses are pictured in the southern village of Marwahin as families return with the Lebanese army to the area, on January 28, 2025. (AFP)
TT

Israeli Drone Strike Wounds 5 in South Lebanon as Residents Demand to Return to Their Land

Destroyed houses are pictured in the southern village of Marwahin as families return with the Lebanese army to the area, on January 28, 2025. (AFP)
Destroyed houses are pictured in the southern village of Marwahin as families return with the Lebanese army to the area, on January 28, 2025. (AFP)

An Israeli drone strike wounded five people in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, according to the country's Heath Ministry, in a village where civilians were protesting for Israeli soldiers to let them access their lands.

The Health Ministry said the strike in Majdal Selm hit “families,” a term it uses for civilians trying to reenter their villages. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike.

Despite a Sunday deadline, Israel's military did not withdraw from southern Lebanon under the terms of its ceasefire with the Hezbollah group.

Protests have since been held daily, and the Israeli military has sometimes responded with gunfire, killing 26 people. The US and Lebanon announced a ceasefire extension until Feb. 18.

Two Israeli strikes on Tuesday wounded 36 people, the Health Ministry said. The Israeli military said it targeted “a Hezbollah truck and an additional vehicle that transferred weapons.”

The strikes were north of the Litani River. The ceasefire prohibits Hezbollah from having a military presence south of the river.

One of the strikes hit an amusement park, leaving it in ruins with shattered bumper cars, a twisted Ferris wheel and carousel. “This city is meant as an entertainment facility for children,” said Haitham Alam, the park's manager.