UAE Ambassador to S. Korea Abdulla Saif Alnuaimi

Editor's Note:
UAE's position on "Hodeida Port Liberation," announced on June 12, 2018 by the government of UAE, was received recently by The Seoul Times from Ambassador Abdulla Saif Alnuaimi of the UAE Embassy in Seoul.

— The intervention of the Arab Coalition in Yemen, as well as the ongoing operations around Hodeida, are based on the request of the legitimate Yemeni Government and in compliance with all relevant UN Security Council Resolutions on the crisis, including UN Security Council Resolutions 2216, 2204, 2201, 2140.

— The Arab Coalition operations to liberate Hodeida are aimed at allowing Yemen’s legitimate government to restore security and stability to the strategic port, to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the country and to break the deadlock in the political process.

— Houthi militias have exploited Hodeida Port to prolong the war and the sufferings of the Yemeni people, by using the Port to smuggle Iranian supplied arms and ballistic missiles into the country to target Saudi cities, and misusing the port’s revenues to finance their ongoing brutal campaign.

— The Houthi’s mismanagement of the port and seizure of humanitarian supplies has had a catastrophic impact on the humanitarian situation in Yemen. While the Coalition’s aid shipments have frequently been confiscated by militias and found their way to the black market, this has not derailed the coalition’s commitment to alleviate the humanitarian crisis.

— While UN efforts to negotiate a solution to the issue of Hodeida have been ongoing for over a year, the Houthis have repeatedly refused the UN Envoy’s proposals to hand over the port, including the latest push by UN Envoy Martin Griffith to hand it over to UN officials.

— In light of the Houthis failure to accept a political solution, the Arab Coalition had no option but to pursue a military solution in order to protect innocent Yemeni citizens and t ensure a safe passage of aid shipments.

— The Arab Coalition remains committed to working with the international community to ensure that the port’s liberation will have an immediate impact on increasing the volume of much-needed humanitarian aid to the country.

— The Arab Coalition has also launched a comprehensive humanitarian plan for Hodeida city to respond to the immediate and long-term humanitarian needs of the Yemeni people in the liberated areas.

— The Arab Coalition has notified the United Nations and other Non-Governmental Organizations of its planned actions and has ensured the safe passage of their staff from Hodeida ahead of time.

— The seizure of the port from the Houthi rebels is aimed at tipping the scales in favor of reaching a political solution, and reigniting the momentum in the stalled UN negotiations.