EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini and Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides on Wednesday called on warring parties in Yemen’s Al Hudaydah to observe Humanitarian Law.

Earlier in the day, the government of the Middle Eastern country, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, launched an offensive to seize Al Hudaydah from the rebel Houthi movement after the latter failed to respond to the government’s offer to withdraw from the port city in order to peacefully resolve the conflict.

“The European Union urges all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and prioritise the protection of civilians. This includes ensuring that the port of Hodeida remains operational as a lifeline for humanitarian support and commercial access point for essential supplies

“ The European Union reiterates its call on all parties to engage with the UN Special Envoy to resume talks towards a negotiated and inclusive political solution to the conflict and remains ready to provide its full support to these UN-led efforts,’’ the senior EU officials said in a statement.

Since Al Hudaydah is one of the most densely populated areas in Yemen, and its port is critical for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Middle Eastern country’s population, any escalation of the situation in the city would further devastate the nation as a whole, the officials stressed.

As the tensions around Al Hudaydah are on the rise, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths has engaged in talks with the Houthis to convince the rebels to hand over control of the port to the UN.

Yemen has been engulfed in a violent conflict between the government and the rebel Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, since 2015.

The Saudi-led international coalition has been supporting the government forces by carrying out airstrikes on the areas controlled by the Houthis.

The conflict has resulted in thousands of people being killed and a major nationwide humanitarian crisis.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in 2018, 22.2 million Yemenis need assistance, which is one million more than in 2017.

June 13, 2018 @ 18:40 GMT |

BE