Yemeni Water and Environment Minister Tawfeeq Al-Sharjabi blamed international organizations choosing to establish headquarters in the Houthi-run capital, Sanaa, for causing chaos in humanitarian relief programs.
The decision to be based in Sanaa has strained the grip international agencies have over the distribution of aid, especially in areas liberated from Houthis, Sharbaji said.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, the minister revealed that the Water and Environment Ministry is reviewing and assessing work done by those organizations.
Stressing the need for amending the work of relief groups in Yemen, Sharbaji stressed that the war-torn country suffers from a staggering shortage of 1.5 billion cubic meters in water supplies with more than half of the population suffering from poor water security.
Sharbaji also warned against the grave environmental threat imposed by the rundown oil tanker FSO Safer, which is moored off Yemen's west coast without any dry-docking or shipyard repairs for over three decades.
Houthis, according to the minister, are exploiting their control over access to Safer to pressure peace efforts into complying with their demands.
During the coming period, the Water and Environment Ministry will focus on rehabilitating infrastructure and state institutions.
Sharbaji said this will help in ensuring the continuity of providing water and sanitation services, protecting the environment, preventing state facilities from collapsing, and rebuilding capacities destroyed by war.
Donors are being urged to give their support to public water institutions and facilities.
The minister went on to confirm that the government is working to resume foreign funding suspended since the Houthi-led coup was waged.
He added that his ministry is working to reactivate strict monitoring to limit the exploitation of water resources and fight the depletion and pollution of groundwater.
Sharbaji confirmed that the ministry is working on a number of major strategic sanitation and development projects.
Financed by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, projects are underway in the cities of Seiyun, Tarim and Aden.
