Yemeni government called on the United Nations to save the Red Sea from a possible environmental disaster caused by the oil spill off the coast in Hodeidah.
This came during a statement by the Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdulmalik al-Mekhlafi, at the sidelines of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers held in Cairo, in which he condemned Houthis.
The Yemeni FM urged the international community, UN Security Council permanent member states and 18 nations supporting peace process in Yemen to pressure the coup forces to seriously return to peace process on the basis of the GCC's Initiative, outcomes of National Dialogue and International Security Council resolution 2216 in order to put Yemen and its people on the right path to end the coup and restore the state's legal institutions.
The Minister affirmed that the government has been doing its best within the available capacities and resources to cope with the living conditions and basic services challenges amid disastrous humanitarian ordeal due to Houthis insistence on messing up with the country's resources, security and stability.
Houthis activities escalated to an intolerable level, which brought the human rights situation in Yemen to an all-time low, based on reports of the UN and specialized organizations, said Mekhlafi.
Mekhlafi pointed out to the efforts the government is exerting to put an end to the Yemenis' suffering and and Houthis' crimes. The government has been seeking to resume the political process that is based on the rules and references agreed on internationally including the GCC initiative, outcomes of the National Dialogue and International Security Council Resolution 2216.
Speaking about the Arab Summit which will be held at the end of March in Saudi capital Riyadh, the FM described the proposed summit as an opportunity to regain the initiative and come to consensus on the policies that put high national interests of Arab nation above all other considerations.
"The national and historical responsibility of the joint Arab action requires everyone to make the next summit a new platform to discuss and approve ways to resolve the emerging crises, and overcome all challenges, with pure Arab will," Mekhlafi stated.
The Foreign Minister appreciated the efforts made by the Saudi-led Coalition for restoring legality in Yemen on top of all Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. He reiterated that the Yemeni government welcomed the newly appointed UN envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffith.
In addition, Mekhlafi warned of a major environmental and humanitarian disaster caused by the Yemeni oil tanker "Safer" located off the coast of Hodeidah, which has not been into maintenance for several years.
In a message sent on behalf of the Yemeni government to the UN Secretary General, Mekhlafi described the condition of Safer tanker and the major environmental and humanitarian threats it poses on the Red Sea.
He called on the UN to provide assistance in assessing the condition of the oil tanker, and that basic maintenance of the tanker would be carried out on the basis of the assessment to avoid the leak of oil inside the Red Sea.
"I would like to ask the United Nations for assistance in identifying an appropriate entity to carry out an assessment of the carrier and the management of maintenance operations, including the identification and contracting of public or private sector institutions, as appropriate, which have the technical expertise to do so," he concluded.
