The Saudi-led coalition has cleared four fuel vessels to dock at Yemen’s Red Sea port of Hodeidah, two sources familiar with the matter said, after Yemen’s internationally known government said Wednesday that they had granted permission to some vessels.
The move came after the Iranian-affiliated Houthi group, which has been fighting the coalition for six years and controls most of its major cities in Yemen, which would only agree to the Saudi fire ceasefire proposal if an air and sea barrier were lifted.
Four vessels, including two carrying 45,000 tonnes of gas oil, a vessel loaded with 5,000 tonnes of liquefied petrol gas and a fourth tanker with 22,700 tonnes of fuel oil have been approved by the joint venture. bond, the sources said.
On Wednesday morning, the four vessels had not yet started moving towards the Houthis-controlled port of Hodeidah.
Yemen’s foreign ministry said it had allowed several fuel vessels to enter Hodeidah to alleviate the humanitarian situation but did not provide further details.
Houthis chief negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam said: “The supply of fuel, food, medical and basic supplies is a humanitarian and legal right for the Yemeni people. We will not accept any military or political conditions for their access.”
BLOCKADE
The United States, which announced last month that American support for the Saudi-led military operation had ceased, welcomed the news that the ships had been cleared to enter Hodeidah.
“Free flow of fuel and other essential goods into and across Yemen is critical to support the delivery of humanitarian aid and other essential actions,” the U.S. Department of State said Ned Price said in a statement.
Blocking Yemeni ports has been one of the main causes of the worst humanitarian catastrophe in the world. The coalition and some aid agencies have accused the Houthis of obstructing aid efforts.
Coalition warships off Hodeidah were holding up 14 fuel tankers as of March 23 despite receiving approval from the UN, data from the United Nations showed. Some have been waiting six months for a dock.
Four more vessels went docking after months of waiting.
Saudi Arabia, which leads a coalition that has been fighting the Houthis since 2015, has offered a deal to suspend the group on Monday that would also include reopening Sanaa airport and allowing fuel and food to enter through the port of Hodeidah.
The Houthis said Saudi offer was falling short of their demand for the complete lifting of air and sea barriers, but that the group would continue to talk to the kingdom, the United States and the Oman intermediary in their pursuit. on a peace treaty.
On Tuesday the Houthis carried out a drone attack on an airport in southern Saudi Arabia.