Yemeni Government: Closure of UN Offices in Sana'a ‘Great Danger’

Pro-government Yemeni fighters patrol after driving Houthi rebels from the district of Bayhan in Shabwa province on December 16, 2017. AP
Pro-government Yemeni fighters patrol after driving Houthi rebels from the district of Bayhan in Shabwa province on December 16, 2017. AP
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Yemeni Government: Closure of UN Offices in Sana'a ‘Great Danger’

Pro-government Yemeni fighters patrol after driving Houthi rebels from the district of Bayhan in Shabwa province on December 16, 2017. AP
Pro-government Yemeni fighters patrol after driving Houthi rebels from the district of Bayhan in Shabwa province on December 16, 2017. AP

Yemen’s legitimate government confirmed Sunday that it will send a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick to renew the call on UN organizations to open in the temporary capital of Aden and carry out relief missions from there, especially after the UN’s decision to evacuate its staff from Sana’a.

Yemen's Minister of Local Administration and the Chairman of the Higher Committee for Relief Abdul-Raqib Saif Fath told Asharq Al-Awsat that his ministry will reiterate in the letter the call for moving UN offices to Aden to run relief convoys to the needy in all Yemeni governorates through all airports and ports of Yemen, with the commitment to meet all requirements.

He described the closure of the UN offices and the evacuation of its staff as a "great danger" that will affect the needy in Yemen, calling on the international community to force Houthi militias not to interfere in the work of humanitarian organizations.

Fath pointed out that the invitation, which the Yemeni government intends to send officially to the UN, was preceded by several calls for working alongside the legitimate government for running Yemen’s affairs from Saada to al-Mahrah.

He said that his ministry has always called on the UN to stop applying the principle of decentralization in the relief work resulting from its insistence on keeping its headquarters in Sana'a despite the security situation there.

The United Nations has been repeatedly informed of the need to find five central centers in Aden, Hadhramout, Marib, Hodeidah and Sana'a to cover all the Yemeni governorates and use all airports and ports, provide safe passage for relief convoys to all the provinces and meet the goals of relief work effectively, Fath explained.

He further noted that, during its previous calls, the legitimate government pledged its commitment to provide all requirements impartially, not to interfere in its affairs and deal with the relief process transparently.

However, the organization did not respond to these calls and continued to apply the principle of decentralization.

On the other hand, Fath said that the Houthis are carrying out violent acts in Sana'a and many other governorates regardless of the presence or absence of international organizations, indicating that these militias do not comply with humanitarian and human rights standards.

All of the attacks against women, arbitrary arrests of those who oppose them and a lot of other violent acts require a serious stance on the part of the international community and the Security Council, Fath stressed.



Sudanese Army Recaptures Positions from RSF in El Fasher

Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)
Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)
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Sudanese Army Recaptures Positions from RSF in El Fasher

Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)
Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)

The Sudanese army carried out a surprise military operation in the early hours of Saturday in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, regaining several positions in the city’s far southwest that it had previously abandoned to advancing Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Military sources reported that calm returned to El Fasher after intense clashes on Friday between the army and RSF fighters, who attempted a major offensive to deepen their hold inside the city. In a statement, the army said its Sixth Infantry Division successfully repelled a fresh RSF attack, inflicting heavy losses in personnel and equipment, and restored control over all frontline areas.

RSF militants had infiltrated southern neighborhoods, seizing the Central Security Reserve headquarters and the Shalla prison. According to army sources, these forces were pushed back through ground combat supported by extensive drone strikes, forcing them to retreat to their original positions. The sources confirmed there were no significant breakthroughs or territorial gains by the RSF following the operation.

In a statement on Saturday, Prime Minister Kamel Idris expressed “deep anger, pain, and responsibility” over the worsening humanitarian disaster in El Fasher. He condemned the “suffocating and inhumane siege imposed by the RSF militia,” describing it as “one of the most brutal cases of collective extortion and systematic starvation in recent history.”

Idris vowed that the government would not stand idly by in the face of this “atrocious” crime and pledged to use all political, diplomatic, and humanitarian means to break the siege and ensure urgent aid reaches civilians trapped in El Fasher amid widespread starvation and international silence.

He called on United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, along with international and humanitarian organizations, to act immediately to pressure the militia to open humanitarian corridors and end the use of starvation as a weapon against civilians.

The prime minister highlighted the RSF’s refusal to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2736, which demands lifting the siege on El Fasher, and their rejection of UN calls for a humanitarian ceasefire. He held the militia responsible for obstructing aid and accountable for the ongoing starvation and terror inflicted on civilians.

Idris warned against silence over these crimes, including the killing of civilians fleeing the siege and bombardments. He also cited the systematic destruction of hospitals by RSF suicide drone and strategic attacks, threatening the lives of millions of innocent civilians.

“What is happening in El Fasher is a major crime committed in full view and hearing of the world,” he said, urging the international community to move beyond lukewarm statements to real action and pressure on those besieging, starving, and attacking civilians.

The RSF continues to attempt to seize the city and its army base, the last stronghold of government forces across all Darfur states. Military sources said defenders repelled the assault and inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers.

The RSF has maintained a tight siege on El Fasher since May 2024, blocking all roads and supply routes and preventing humanitarian aid from entering, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths from starvation and medical shortages.