UAE envoy in Cairo: Liberation of Hodeidah port constitutes a fatal blow to Houthis

The Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates of the Arab Republic of Egypt and Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States, Ambassador Jumaa Mubarak Al-Junaibi, affirmed that the liberation of Hodeidah port by the Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition came at the request of the legitimate Yemeni government.

It, he added, is also based on the UN Security Council resolutions to restore security and stability to the port, which will contribute significantly to alleviating the impact of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, in addition to restoring momentum to the political process that is currently stalled.

Al-Junaibi said in a statement on Thursday that the liberation of the port would constitute a fatal blow to the Houthi militias that use it for all illegal acts. He added that the liberation would cut off its supply of Iranian weapons against the Yemeni people. The ambassador also said that the liberation of the port is a very important step to expand the legitimacy, restore the security of navigation and dry up the smuggling sources of pro-Iranian militias.

The UAE ambassador in Cairo warned that the Houthi militias would exploit the port of Hodeidah to prolong the war, especially in view of the port’s use in smuggling weapons and ballistic missiles into Yemen to target and threaten the security of Saudi Arabia.

He also stressed the disastrous humanitarian consequences of the Houthis’ mismanagement of the port, as well as the continued takeover of humanitarian aid, distributing them on the Houthi militias and selling the remaining quantities on the black market. This causes an exacerbation in the humanitarian crisis, which the Arab coalition forces are trying to ease in all possible ways.

The ambassador added that despite United Nations efforts for more than a year to negotiate a solution to the issue of the port of Hodeidah, the Houthi militias have repeatedly declared their rejection of the UN proposals to hand over the port to a third party.

They stressed that in light of the continued rejection of the Houthis to accept any political solution, the Arab coalition forces defending the legitimacy in Yemen has no choice but to resort to the use of military force to ensure the arrival of humanitarian aid to the people of Yemen and to restore stability and security.

The UAE envoy in Cairo said that it is important that the Arab coalition forces restore the port of Hodeidah, which is the last remaining port in the hands of the Houthis after the recapture of the ports of the Mukha and Medi. He added that the port of Hodeidah is also the maritime link with Iran, noting that its return and the expulsion of the Houthi militias from it will end threats to navigation in Bab al-Mandab, will significantly contribute to a clear change in the balance of power on the ground and bring the momentum back to the stalled political negotiations.

Al-Junaibi stressed that the Arab coalition forces have fully committed themselves to move with the international community to increase the humanitarian assistance to the Yemeni people after the liberation of the port.

He pointed out that the Arab coalition forces notified the UN and all humanitarian and relief organizations of the military operations in order to ensure the safety and security of their personnel.

He also pointed out that the process of liberating the port of Hodeidah aims to raise its efficiency and operational capacity in order to receive more humanitarian aid and distribute it to the deserving groups. This will eventually leads to pressure on the Houthis to reach a long-term political solution to the Yemeni crisis, he added.