Iranian-backed Houthi militias looted about $2 billion from the Yemeni people in the form of royalties, customs duties and taxes on humanitarian aid, charged Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al Jaber.
He disclosed that the militias have continuously been impeding the delivery of humanitarian and relief aid to Yemen and looting the Central bank.
He added that they have allowed Iran to smuggle different kinds of weapons and ballistic missiles in order to target Makkah, Riyadh and a number of Saudi cities.
Speaking at King Saud University during a symposium under the title of "Restoration of Hope... Security, Stability and Development in Yemen", the ambassador announced that forces to support legitimacy in Yemen are 70 kilometers away from the strategic Hodeidah port.
The symposium highlighted the great efforts exerted by Saudi Arabia in Operation Restoration of Hope and its relief and humanitarian initiatives and projects to bolster security, provide medical care and achieve social and economic development in Yemen.
“The Houthis have altered the humanitarian situation and the war for their benefit. They have doubled their income through the looting of $5 billion from the Central Bank and their refusal to pay employee salaries in all institutions in the country,” Jaber stated.
Moreover, he said that the delivery of humanitarian aid in Yemen takes place through 22 air, land and sea ports. Seventeen humanitarian corridors have also been secured.
He held the Houthi militias responsible for disrupting the arrival of humanitarian assistance to those in need, especially in areas under their control.
The Saudi diplomat stressed that the Saudi-led coalition to support the legitimacy of Yemen prioritizes maintaining the safety of Yemeni people and avoiding targeting residential areas.
"In 2018, the Arab Coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, announced the Yemen Comprehensive Humanitarian Operations," he added, asserting that this plan seeks to improve the humanitarian situation in the war-torn country.
Jaber said that the Kingdom's total assistance to Yemen has so far reached around $10.96 billion.
Saudi Ministry of Finance representative Fahd al-Otaiby disclosed that Saudi Arabia has provided $3 billion to the Central Bank in Yemen in cash deposits.
The Kingdom's total aid to developing countries since 1973 has reached around $152 billion, he revealed.
