Yemen Government Slams Houthis for Seizing Hodeidah Port Revenues

View of the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen June 24, 2018. (Reuters)
View of the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen June 24, 2018. (Reuters)
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Yemen Government Slams Houthis for Seizing Hodeidah Port Revenues

View of the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen June 24, 2018. (Reuters)
View of the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen June 24, 2018. (Reuters)

The Houthi militias came through on their threat to plunder frozen assets and port revenues from a special account intended to pay the salaries of public servants at the Central Bank of Yemen (CBY) branch in the coastal Hodeidah province.

Away from its agreement with the UN and the legitimate Yemeni government to dispense these assets to pay the salaries of public servants, the Iran-backed militias have funneled what they plundered into their war effort.

In an official statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, the Yemeni government denounced the Houthi violations and accused them of looting the revenues from the import duties of oil derivatives from the special account at the CBY in Hodeidah, which amounts to more than 35 billion Yemeni rials (about $60 million) allocated to pay the salaries of civil servants.

The Foreign Ministry called it a “flagrant violation” of a UN-brokered arrangement to pay civil servant salaries using fees from oil imports at the port of Hodeidah.

It held the Houthis "responsible for thwarting understandings and the subsequent consequences."

It also called on the UN to assume its responsibility as the observer and guarantor to obligate Houthis to submit data on the current status of the special account.

In mid-April, the Houthis announced their intention to withdraw funds from the special account, claiming they would use them to pay each civil servant a quarter of their monthly wages. The Houthis at the time accused the government of reneging on prior agreements to pay the civil servants.

On May 14, UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, briefed the UN Security Council in New York about his concerns on the use of the special account.

“My Office has repeatedly requested documentation from Ansar Allah (Houthis) that is needed to verify the special account activity. Indeed, I have written to the leadership to personally reiterate this request,” Griffiths said.



Syria’s Military Operations Command Targets Warlords, Associates of Asma al-Assad

Photos of the missing hang on the main gate of Saydnaya prison, north Damascus (AFP)
Photos of the missing hang on the main gate of Saydnaya prison, north Damascus (AFP)
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Syria’s Military Operations Command Targets Warlords, Associates of Asma al-Assad

Photos of the missing hang on the main gate of Saydnaya prison, north Damascus (AFP)
Photos of the missing hang on the main gate of Saydnaya prison, north Damascus (AFP)

Detainees at Hama Central Prison, who surrendered or were captured during battles that toppled Assad regime positions, will face trial on Thursday, a UK-based war monitor reported.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), trials will be held in batches.
A judicial committee linked to the Justice Ministry of the interim government formed by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) will handle the cases, SOHR director Rami Abdul Rahman told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The “Military Command Administration” is carrying out raids in Syria’s coastal regions, Hama, and Homs to arrest warlords accused of profiting from the conflict, the SOHR reported.
The campaign targets figures tied to regime leaders, including associates of Asma al-Assad, the ousted president’s wife, and former officials accused of war crimes.
The campaign is targeting officers, militias, and informants accused of crimes against Syrians, according to the SOHR.
After the regime’s collapse and intensified fighting, hundreds of officers and fighters surrendered, with many now detained as prisoners of war.
The SOHR has urged treating detainees according to international laws, allowing them to contact their families, and ensuring fair trials before independent courts.
The organization also called for convicted individuals to be informed of legal procedures and the timelines for each step.

The White Helmets have uncovered around 20 unidentified bodies and skeletal remains in a drug warehouse near the Sayyida Zainab area in Damascus, Syrian Civil Defense official Ammar Al-Salmo said on Wednesday.
Sayyida Zainab, a southern Damascus district, was a Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militia stronghold since 2012. These groups claimed to defend the site during Syria’s uprising. According to AFP, they have now been replaced by local armed groups.
Al-Salmo, speaking near the shrine, said, “We received reports of foul odors and remains in the warehouse.”
A small refrigerator held about 10 decomposed bodies, with bones and skulls scattered across the room.
The remains, believed to be 1-2 years old, were collected for DNA testing.
Bashar al-Assad fled Syria on December 8 after opposition forces led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham launched a rapid offensive, ending 13 years of his regime’s oppression of opposition protests.
The SOHR reported that military authorities are prosecuting individuals linked to war crimes under public pressure for justice and to prevent acts of personal retribution. Accountability for crimes remains a core demand of the Syrian revolution.