Saudi Arabia welcomed on Friday the Yemeni government’s decision to allow a number of oil ships to enter the port of Hodeidah on an exceptional basis at the request of the UN to alleviate the humanitarian crisis triggered by Houthi coup militias in Yemen.
“Saudi Arabia welcomes the decision by the internationally-recognized Yemeni government to facilitate the entry of oil derivatives ships to the port of Hodeidah,” said the Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The Kingdom affirms its keenness to support the success of the UN-brokered truce and its complete rejection of the Houthi militias’ exploitation of the international community,” the ministry said.
It also stressed the keenness of the coalition supporting Yemen’s legitimate government on achieving peace despite the Iran-backed Houthis’ intransigence and refusal to implement their commitments.
The ministry said the militias have prevented oil ships from entering Hodeidah, under a mechanism put in place since December 2019 through UN supervision.
The Houthis had been blamed for aiming to resume the war and thwart the truce efforts, and have also not been carrying out their obligations, especially those related to paying the salaries of employees in areas under their control.
The Yemeni government said that since Aug. 10, the Houthis have been forcing companies and traders of oil derivatives to violate the laws in force and the international UN mechanism in place since 2019 to import fuel through the ports of Hodeidah.
On Thursday, Yemen’s Saba news agency reported that the Yemeni government had no objections to the entry of oil derivatives ships to Hodeidah.
The government reiterated its keenness to grant all additional facilities in order to alleviate human suffering and prevent the Houthi militia from blackmailing the international community and benefiting from black markets, Saba news agency said.
