UN Gravely Concerned Over Saudi Arabia's Military Offensive on Hudaydah

Tue May 29, 2018 11:04PM
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Workers inspect damages at the site of an air strike on the maintenance hub at the Hudaydah port, on May 27, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

The United Nations has voiced grave concern over the Saudi-backed militant attack on Yemeni city of Hudaydah.

"We’re extremely concerned about the situation around Hudaydah. Our colleagues in the area have started to take precautionary measures in terms of ramping up assistance and redefining contingency plans in case of this further escalation," said UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Tuesday.

“Increased fighting would unleash even more internally displaced people,”he added.

Since Sunday, forces loyal to Yemen's former government and supported by Saudi Arabia have been closing in on Hudaydah which is a key entry point for the country’s humanitarian aid.

Riyadh claims that Yemen’s Ansarullah movement uses the port for weapons delivery.

On Sunday, the Leader of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are puppets of Washington and Tel Aviv.

Abdul Malik Badreddin al-Houthi made the remarks during a televised address aired by al-Masirah TV channel on Sunday, where he accused the US and Israel of pushing Saudi Arabia towards its deadly war on Yemen.

"The decision of invading the Yemeni western coast has been taken and adopted by the United States of America," he added.

Saudi Arabia and its allies launched the war on Yemen in March 2015 in support of the country’s former Riyadh-friendly government. The Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights announced in a statement on March 25 that the Saudi-led war had left 600,000 civilians dead and injured until then.

In one of the deadliest air raids, Saudi warplanes last month targeted a wedding ceremony in Hajjah several times, killing almost 50 people and wounding 55 others. Saudi jets also carried out raids on the ambulances transporting the casualties to local hospitals.