KSrelief: Houthis Hamper Access of 632 Ships, Trucks

KSrelief spokesman Dr. Samer Aljetaily during a news conference in Riyadh on Monday. Asharq Al-Awsat
KSrelief spokesman Dr. Samer Aljetaily during a news conference in Riyadh on Monday. Asharq Al-Awsat
TT
20

KSrelief: Houthis Hamper Access of 632 Ships, Trucks

KSrelief spokesman Dr. Samer Aljetaily during a news conference in Riyadh on Monday. Asharq Al-Awsat
KSrelief spokesman Dr. Samer Aljetaily during a news conference in Riyadh on Monday. Asharq Al-Awsat

An official from King Salman Center for Humanitarian Aid and Relief (KSrelief) revealed on Monday that Houthis blocked 65 relief ships at Hodeidah and Saleef ports in addition to 567 relief-loaded trucks in various Yemeni regions between April 2015 and December 2017. 

KSRelief spokesman Dr. Samer Aljetaily said during a news conference in Riyadh that Houthi militias confiscated during the past four months around 363 relief trucks, looted 6,315 relief baskets and traded them in the black market in areas controlled by the insurgents.

He added that KSrelief’s total number of aid projects worldwide stands at 308 with 119 partners at the value of $967m while the total number of projects in Yemen stands at 175, implemented in association with 77 partners at the cost of $821m.

During the past two years, he said, the center provided 7,590 people with relief assistance by air and that 364,000 people from 85 nationalities were evacuated from Yemen.

In the first half of 2017, Houthi militias recruited 568 Yemeni children under the age of 18, and more than 8,000 children since 2015, he said.

The center launched the third phase of its Yemeni children rehabilitation program for those recruited by the Houthis, he stated, adding that the program, which targets 2,000 children, aims to help them integrate into the Yemeni community.

Commenting on cholera updates, Aljetaily declared that no cholera-related deaths were recorded in the past weeks, affirming that several organizations shut down their private clinics in multiple Yemeni provinces in an indicator on the successful efforts to halt the spread of the disease.



Sudan Calls on Security Council to Impose Sanctions on RSF

Smoke is seen rising in Khartoum, Sudan, April 15, 2023. (AP)
Smoke is seen rising in Khartoum, Sudan, April 15, 2023. (AP)
TT
20

Sudan Calls on Security Council to Impose Sanctions on RSF

Smoke is seen rising in Khartoum, Sudan, April 15, 2023. (AP)
Smoke is seen rising in Khartoum, Sudan, April 15, 2023. (AP)

Sudan called on the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its backers in order to break the siege on al-Fasher city in Darfur.

In a statement on Friday, the Foreign Ministry said Sudan welcomes a statement issued by the Council on Thursday on the RSF attack on al-Fasher.

The Council had expressed its grave concern over the attack and the rising violence in North Darfur. It called for holding the RSF and others to account for crimes against all civilians.

The Foreign Ministry also called for ending “foreign meddling” that is fueling the war and instability in Sudan.

It urged more “effective measures” to ensure the implementation of Security Council resolution 2736, saying the RSF has proven that it does not heed demands that are not followed by punitive measures and deterrent steps against its leaders and regional sponsors.

The RSF has met Security Council demands with escalating attacks on refugee camps and impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid to al-Fasher as part of its “genocide campaign”, continued the ministry.

It is time for the international community to take tangible steps against officials who are responsible for atrocities, it stressed.

The RSF seized the Zamzam refugee camp on April 11 after a three-day attack.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said over 400 civilians, including women and children, as well as 12 aid workers have been killed.

Over 400,000 people have fled Zamzam to other regions of al-Fasher.