Displaying items by tag: Hodeidah

Friday, 21 December 2018 11:13

Yemen: pray for the first truce in years

A fragile calm took hold in Hodeidah on 18 December, after sporadic gunfire between Houthi fighters and forces loyal to the government. Two days later it was being hailed by many as a positive step on the path to peace for the war-torn country. However the agreement is open to different interpretations by the warring parties. It talks of ‘mutual redeployment of forces’ from Hodeidah and other ports. The Houthis do not see this as meaning that they need to withdraw, while the other side thinks they must do so - a key point of contention. See. Everyone is praying that the truce will hold. The humanitarian situation is beyond atrocious. The majority of malnourished people don't know where they will get their next meal. Women can't produce milk for their children. People die daily. 22 million people need aid. 8.4 million face starvation. Pray for immediate co-ordinated availability and distribution of all that is needed.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 14 June 2018 22:58

Yemen: UN warnings ignored

The UN has said that, in a worst-case scenario, as many as 250,000 people could be killed in a new offensive against Hodeidah, currently under the control of Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The city is a lifeline for the country's war-ravaged population. 90% of food, fuel and medicines in Yemen are imported, with 70% coming through Hodeidah. On 12 June an offensive against the city started at dawn. Yemen's information minister hailed it as ‘the beginning of a complete victory to liberate Yemen's territory all the way to the capital of Sanaa.’ The Saudi-led coalition, including the UAE, has been in a virtual stalemate with the Houthis since March 2015. The Houthis use the port to raise revenues through looting, extortion, and illegal taxation imposed on commercial ships to finance and sustain their military aggression against Yemen and neighbouring countries. Observers say that if the Houthis dig in this could be a bloody street battle, comparable to Aleppo.

Published in Worldwide