The Yemeni government and the United Nations have expressed concern over a possible halt of the new relief programs in Houthi-dominated areas because of the group's continued obstruction of humanitarian aid.
On Wednesday, Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik received UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen Lise Grande in the interim capital of Aden.
The meeting discussed the coordination between the government and the United Nations in humanitarian projects and the difficulties facing the UN relief operations in Houthi-controlled areas, according to official sources.
UN’s World Food Program (WFP) suspended a food aid project in Sanaa following large-scale looting of aids by Houthi officials.
The UN official said that these difficulties and obstacles could lead to the suspension of some of the organization's humanitarian programs in Houthi areas, reported Saba News Agency.
She renewed UN’s support, in all forms, to overcome the challenges and difficulties Yemeni people have to endure as a result of the war.
For his part, PM Abdulmalik asserted it is imperative that the UN names the Houthis in no uncertain terms as the “obstructers of humanitarian aid works.”
He commended the World Food Program's recent measures against Houthi misuse of aid and direct blame of the rebel militias for diverting food aid away from the intended and most needy recipients.
Earlier, the WFP suspended its operations in areas controlled by the Iran-backed militias, saying the decision was taken as a last resort after “lengthy negotiations stalled on an agreement to introduce controls to prevent the diversion of food away from some of the most vulnerable people in Yemen.”
The Program indicated it failed to reach an agreement with the Houthis on introducing “a biometric registration system that would prevent diversion and protect the Yemeni families we serve, ensuring food reaches those who need it most.”
Houthis rejected the plan and accused the Program officials of carrying out espionage activities for the Coalition to Support the Legitimacy.
The PM asserted that the government is keen on delivering relief aid to all citizens, including those under the control of the coupists.
He informed the UN official that his government continues to pay the salaries of state employees as one of the basic national responsibilities of the government towards its citizens, including all Hodeidah employees, despite Houthis’ seizure of the financial revenues in the province.
He renewed the government's call for the UN and the international community to provide assistance and find solutions to the eroding oil tanker, Safer, saying it could create an environmental disaster in the Red Sea because of the potential oil spill, which will affect Yemen and the whole region.
He noted that his government had long provided all facilities to the United Nations to find a viable solution to this issue, but to no avail.
The Safer tanker is a floating oil storage and offloading facility about eight kilometers off the coast of Ras Isa terminal in the Red Sea. It contains about one million barrels of oil that the legitimate government could not export because of Houthi control of the port.
Houthis are eager to sell the stored quantity of oil and harness the financial revenue for the war effort as their leaders have repeatedly threatened to use the tank as a weapon by detonating it and committing an environmental disaster in the Sea.
The legitimate government agreed to the entry of a UN team to inspect and maintain the tanker, but Houthi militias prevented the arrival of the team, according to previous government statements.
