Prime Minister Maeen Abdul Malik renewed on Tuesday his request to the United Nations to relocate its main offices from Sanaa to Yemen’s temporary capital of Aden, where the legitimate government is established, in order to avoid coming under pressure by Houthi militias.
He made the statement during his reception of UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Lise Grande and her accompanying delegation in Aden.
Abdul Malik discussed with Grande UN efforts and projects in Yemen, the situation in the city of Hodeidah, which she visited on Friday along with UN Envoy Martin Griffiths.
The Yemeni government accuses Houthis of looting humanitarian aid, hindering the work of humanitarian organizations and imposing on them staff from within insurgent ranks to control the movement of such agencies and carry out field work to serve coup purposes.
“The militias have taken control of the city, turning civilians into human shields and denying them humanitarian aid and using the assistance to finance their insurgency,” Saba News agency quoted Yemen’s PM as saying.
He reiterated the government's call on UN agencies and international organizations to relocate or open their offices in Aden so that they can operate freely and provide relief and humanitarian aid to the people across Yemen.
The Prime Minister also called on the international community to help provide Yemenis with their basic needs, including water, electricity, health and education.
The militias have recently banned individual or collective work in the humanitarian field by stopping the delivery of work permits.
Their measures have facilitated the seizure and use of international aid by their followers.
Many Yemeni human rights activists criticize the performance of UN organizations in Houthi-controlled areas and accuse them of being lenient with the militias.
