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Statement Regarding Today’s Pledging Conference for Yemen organized by Switzerland, Sweden, and the United Nations

Statement Regarding Today’s Pledging Conference for Yemen organized by Switzerland, Sweden, and the United Nations

March 01, 2021

The Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Washington, DC expresses its sincere gratitude to its allies and other close international partners today for their generous contributions at the United Nations’ virtual high-level pledging conference on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Led by the efforts of Sweden and Switzerland, the pledging conference garnered $1.7 billion in total donations that will help alleviate the suffering of millions of innocent Yemeni men, women, and children.

However, little to none of those suffering will receive this aid if the international community does not exert maximum pressure on the Houthis to end their campaign against the Yemeni people by stealing precious resources and blocking aid delivery. As the conflict turns towards its seventh year, the Yemeni people need this aid desperately.

80 percent of the Yemeni population relies on aid assistance and protection. Each month, the UN’s humanitarian operations help provide essential relief to more than 10 million Yemenis in need. The funds pledged today by our partners will be used to support the people most in need through a variety of programs and initiatives operating around the country.

The Embassy also thanks newly appointed Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the Biden administration for further highlighting the importance of addressing and ending the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. The United States continues to be an important partner in humanitarian aid, pledging $191 million for this year, and more than $3 billion over the past five years. The United Stats’s continued contributions only further strengthens the longstanding ties between the two countries.

“Today, famine is bearing down on Yemen,” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated at the conference. “The race is on, if we want to prevent hunger and starvation from taking millions of lives. It is impossible to overstate the severity of the suffering in Yemen.”

Today’s pledging conference comes at a time when the Houthis have made clear that they have no plan to help end the humanitarian crisis. Instead, they would rather continue their assault on Marib, attack innocent civilians in neighboring countries, and obstruct humanitarian aid workers and projects from fulfilling their duties. This obstruction in the aid process has caused the UN to cut back or even end relief programs. The funds raised today will help address these cutbacks as well as persistent challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the Houthis’ antagonistic behavior.

“Right now, millions of Yemenis are looking to the world for help,” Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Lowcock said. “The good news is the world knows exactly what is needed to prevent catastrophe: pay for the aid operation, ensure access for aid workers, support the economy, and – most of all – end the war. The only question is: what will the world choose to do?”

Therefore, member countries must recognize that humanitarian aid and programs, while helpful, mean nothing if they continue to be blocked by the Houthis from reaching the people who need it most. As Prime Minister Dr. Maeen Saeed noted at the conference, the Houthis actively threaten the lives of two million Yemenis with their terror in Marib. “Aid alone won’t end the conflict.” Secretary Blinken’s words will ring hollow if there is no active effort from member countries to pressure and stop the Houthis and their malfeasance.

Despite the Houthis’ transgressions, the legitimate internationally recognized government continues to work closely with its international partners to help innocent Yemenis in the face of these various threats. The Embassy of the Republic of Yemen will continue to work closely with its international partners to ensure that essential humanitarian aid is effectively and efficiently delivered to the people of Yemen and reaffirms its commitment to reaching a peaceful, political resolution to the conflict.

Statement on US Government Designation of Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization

GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF YEMEN

Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Expatriates

January 11, 2021

 

Statement on US Government Designation of Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization

The Government of the Republic of Yemen takes this opportunity to comment on the latest decision by the United States Government to officially designate Ansar Allah (partisans of God), i.e., the Houthis, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). “After six years of conflict, and attempting other types of sanctions, we believe that all political and legal pressures must continue being mounted, maximized and maintained on the Houthis in order to make conditions conducive and conclusive to a peaceful solution to the conflict. The Government of Yemen welcomes this US announcement, and which is intended to engender an ultimate final resolution to this long and tragic conflict in Yemen,” states H.E. Dr. Ahmed Awad BinMubarak, Minister of Foreign Affairs & Expatriates (and former Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to the United States of America).

Moreover, the Houthis merit an FTO designation not only for their concerted efforts in prolonging the conflict and producing the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe, but also for their actual concealed terrorist actions. The Houthis are an emerging menace to both regional allies and international security; and their presence also poses a threat to US interests and national security.

Furthermore, the Houthis have perpetrated crimes against humanity, including by terrorist activities in secret collusion and collaboration with other foreign terrorist groups who have managed to operate from Yemeni territories. Truly, and even beyond Hezbollah and IRGC, there is also a hidden nexus and network of cooperation between the Houthis and other foreign terrorist groups who have global aims and ambitions to attack the US military, American nationals and involvements in the region. Consequently, this FTO designation will alter the dynamics to make it even more untenable for the Houthis to endeavor any violent actions, just as the US military did in retaliating after Houthi missile attacks against the USS Mason in October 2016 on the Red Sea near Yemen.

Indeed, it is with Iran’s ideological, financial, military, and technical support to the Houthis that have allowed the Houthis to engage in reckless and reprehensible terrorist acts (including the December 30, 2020 attacks at Aden Airport that killed and injured many people); and in causing the worst humanitarian crisis in the world that has affected millions of innocent Yemenis, with dire health deficits and other related challenges made pervasive stemming from, among other things, the Houthis appalling misdeeds with aid delivery and relief efforts.

There are those who contend that any FTO designation on the Houthis will have “unintended consequences,” both for the peace process and humanitarian concerns. We totally understand these apprehensions as articulated by well-meaning parties, especially those involved with aid operations in Yemen. However, it is the continuous and callous interference of the Houthis that has obstructed such crucial efforts, not from any other parties to the conflict. Thus, the FTO designation should be viewed as an effective tool to stop their deplorable behavior, and whose application is not designed to negatively impact the conduct of relief and humanitarian operations. Indeed, it is intended to push the Houthis to end their machinations and compel them to genuinely pursue realizing a secure and sustainable peace. It is to extricate the country from its seemingly interminable awful situation. And it is to make the Houthis give up their illusions of entitlement or divine right to rule Yemen.

Therefore, in order to realize a decisive end to this long and tragic conflict, the Government of Yemen unwaveringly supports a FTO designation for the Houthis by the US Government as a just recourse and remedy in the interest of achieving peace through practical pressures, while it contemporaneously continues to fully back all United Nations-led efforts to reach a comprehensive peace. The Houthis must respond and reciprocate. And the Houthis must stop hampering UN-led peace efforts and to cease escalating hostilities once and for all.

Call for International Pressure on Houthis to Stop Hostilities Against Marib in Yemen

The Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in the United States of America seizes this opportunity to categorically denounce the Iran-backed Houthis for their reprehensible actions in Yemen and in particular, would like to draw further attention to the reckless and relentless violent onslaught against the Governorate of Marib perpetrated by the Houthis in recent weeks, whose impacts on the people have been dangerous and whose implications on realizing peace are deleterious.

“The International Community should apply the utmost pressure on the Houthis and demand their total cessation of hostilities in Marib, as was done in the past involving the issue of Hodeidah”, states His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Awad BinMubarak, Ambassador of Yemen to the United States.

The following should also be noted regarding Marib:

1) Because of the conflict in Yemen, both precipitated and protracted by the Iran-backed Houthis, Marib Governorate (i.e., province) has become a sanctuary to the largest number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Yemen, exceeding two million people, and comprising of people who have escaped, evacuated or been expelled from their cities and communities from various regions of the Republic of Yemen.

2) Due to the Houthis persistent hostilities and havoc inflicted, more people are still fleeing and flowing into Marib. Currently, Marib contains 133 camps for IDPs. However, this accounts for only 10% of the displaced currently present in the governorate where the vast majority have been able to integrate into the main city and surrounding areas, which have significantly expanded stemming from the IDP influx. Consequently, the burdens on the local authorities and government of Yemen have massively grown to provide basic services for health, education, housing and infrastructure to keep pace with the steady increase and inflow of IDPs.

3) It was not enough for the Iran-backed Houthis to have forced so many people to abandon their homes and to leave their towns or villages because of the threats to their security, thus obliging them make the lengthy and difficult journey into Marib. But even after these IDPs managed to arrive safely into Marib, the Houthis continue their assault to harm those same innocent civilians by deliberately targeting properties with ballistic missiles. The Houthis have not spared any location from their attacks in Marib, including residential homes, schools and hospitals.

4) The Houthis have also been planting landmines on a large scale in farms, lands, roads, and water sources nearby Marib, to sabotage the population and to hinder people from finding refuge and protection in Marib. Consequently, these landmines have led to the murder or maiming of many people coming from different parts of Yemen, particularly children. Those who have survived from a Houthi landmine detonation must face the deep trauma and endure living with an amputated limb. Although efforts have been underway (such as from the MASAM Project) dedicated to trying to discover and dismantle Houthi landmines with successes achieved in detecting and defusing thousands of Houthi landmines, the Houthis still continue planting indiscriminately more and more landmines.

5) While the Houthis continue to recruit thousands of children and use them for hostilities (including against Marib), in Marib itself, the Government of Yemen with the support of the Arab Coalition has established a center for the rehabilitation of children captured by government forces on the frontlines who were cruelly sent there by the Houthis to fight. These children receive essential care and treatment to recover from the horrible psychological effects from combat and war that has been imposed on them by the Houthis. The center has helped 52,000 children and their families since its establishment in September 2017.

Therefore, the Houthis must definitively halt their military aggression against Marib.
And the international community should both express its categorical condemnation and put forth the maximum diplomatic leverage on the Houthis so as to desist and deter any more violent escalations against Marib by the Houthis (as well as elsewhere) and to make conditions conducive for more stabilization in Yemen.

Indeed, the Houthis actions in Marib have been in egregious violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law. And, all international agencies and relevant human rights organizations must be allowed by the Houthis to gain safe access to Marib to monitor all developments. Unquestionably, they will reach the same determinations and express the same grave concerns that have been asserted by the Government of Yemen.

Statement On Declaration for the Implementation of the Riyadh Agreement

Statement On Declaration for the Implementation of the Riyadh Agreement

July 29, 2020

The Government of Yemen welcomes the statement issued by yesterday the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the proposed mechanism to accelerate the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement. The Government of Yemen has expressed its readiness to fully implementing the Riyadh Agreement that had been agreed with the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

Moreover, the Government of Yemen reiterates its profound gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia both for the substantial efforts exerted to establish the Riyadh Agreement; and going forward to execute (as expeditiously as possible) the Riyadh Agreement with the new mechanism.

For many months, the Yemeni Government had engaged responsibly in the face of the consequences of the August 2019 military escalation and has responded positively to all efforts to reach the Riyadh Agreement in November 2019, whose provisions the government has been keen on fully carrying out and in its commitments.

The Yemeni Government had already adhered to and pursued its obligations under the Riyadh Agreement and implemented all parameters governing the military and security side, all of which were agreed upon with the supervision of our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Fortunately, the STC has finally reacted positively to the exhortations of the Government of Yemen, the Arab Coalition, the Arab League, and the United Nations Security Council, including with the prudent pronouncement stated yesterday by the STC to abrogate and abandon its decision for “self-administration” in southern parts of Yemen – which had been an adversarial maneuver and an adverse measure that also greatly exacerbated the Riyadh Agreement and further aggravated instability in Yemen. The international community has repeatedly asserted the imperative for maintaining the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Yemen.

The time is now for all parties to entirely work in good faith with the Government of Yemen under the leadership of His Excellency President Hadi, and to ensure the complete success to the Riyadh Agreement without any hindrances. This comprises exercising confidence in the Prime Minister for forming a new government derived from all parties (including the STC) and also engaging positively with the appointments of the new Governor of Aden and new Head of the Police in Aden.

The Government of Yemen calls on our Yemeni people everywhere to close ranks and to strengthen our national cohesion and to defeat any attempts to harm the homeland and to stand with the state and the legitimate government against all forms of armed rebellion and coups which threaten Yemen and its vital unity. Our energies must be mobilized together as one to end this long conflict, to reach a secure and sustainable peace, and to ultimately achieve long-term recovery.

Facts on Status of Implementation of Government of Yemen’s Initiative to Supply Oil Derivatives and to Facilitate Payment of Salaries in Areas under Houthi Control

 

      June 29, 2020

   Facts on Status of Implementation of Government of Yemen’s Initiative to Supply Oil Derivatives and to Facilitate Payment of Salaries in Areas under Houthi Control

  1. The Yemeni government announced a temporary initiative to implement government decisions No. 75 of 2018 and 49 of 2019 and to facilitate the flow of oil derivatives to Houthi-controlled areas to alleviate the humanitarian situation. The initiative stipulated that the returns from tax and customs on imported oil derivatives through the port of Hodeidah be deposited in a special account in the branch of the Central Bank in Hodeidah and that the salaries of the civil sector in the Houthi-controlled areas be paid from those sums according to a mechanism agreed upon by the government and the Houthi putschists.
  2. The Yemeni government team held three meetings in 2019 with representatives of the United Nations Special Envoy’s office on October 27, November 1, and December 2, and presented proposals on the mechanism and necessary data related to the salary payment process in these regions.
  3. It was agreed between the Yemeni government delegation and the UN Special Envoy’s office to hold a meeting for technicians from the government side and the Houthis side to discuss the mechanism for paying salaries at the beginning of January 2020.
  4. The Yemeni government team contacted and communicated with the UN Special Envoy’s office on January 15, January 18, January 22, February 5, February 1, February 17, February 3, March 3, April 1, and in May 2020 to push for a meeting with the Houthi putschists to discuss the mechanism of salary payment and the Houthi militia’s breaches of the government initiative. However, its letters regarding the meeting were neither responded to nor were adequate answers provided regarding the Houthi violations of the mechanism.
  5. Despite the Houthis attempts to promote the perception that there is a blockade of oil derivatives, the reality is that the government of Yemen’s initiative and the mechanism that was approved facilitated the entry of more than 182% of oil derivatives in the first quarter of this year 2020 compared to the same period last year.
  6. According to the report of the Office of the United Nations Special Envoy to the United Nations Secretary-General and the confession of the Houthis, they violated the mechanism on January 20, 2020, by withdrawing an amount of 17.39 billion Yemeni Riyals (YER); and the UN Special Envoy’s office couldn’t either monitor or audit the accounts of the Central Bank branch in Hodeidah, which made it easier for the Houthis to breach the mechanism again in April by withdrawing 19.03 billion YERs; and on May 17, they withdrew 7.63 billion YERs.
  7. The Houthi militia has prevented merchants from fulfilling the conditions and from following the procedures stipulated in decrees 75 for the year 2018 and 49 for the year 2019 and thus fabricated an oil crisis.
  8. In mid-June 2020, two oil derivatives dealers working in the Houthi-controlled areas imported more than 29 thousand tons of diesel through the Port of Al-Mukalla, in order to transport them to Sana’a to alleviate the oil derivatives crisis in those areas and paid more than 417 million YERs in customs fees and government taxes.
  9. The Houthi militia stopped and held more than 270 oil trucks at its checkpoints and prevented them from entering cities to cover the market needs in those areas. These many oil trucks are distributed as follows: 120 on Al-Jawf Road; 70 in Afar on Al-Bayda Road; and 80 on Taiz Road.
  10. The Houthi militia also has stockpiled oil derivatives in homes belonging to black-market merchants in order to create an oil derivative crisis. The incident last week of the burning of fuel tanks (June 23, 2020) was in a house of a black-market trader (Mr. Naji Al-Hakim). This is clear evidence, and the volume of storage was so immense that it sparked a major fire, burning 30 houses in the vicinity of the merchant’s home.

 

Statement on the June 2, 2020 Saudi-UN Pledging Conference for Yemen

STATEMENT

On the June 2, 2020, Saudi-UN Pledging Conference for Yemen

The Embassy of the Republic of Yemen expresses its sincere gratitude to its allies and other close international partners for their generous contributions at the United Nations’ first-ever virtual high-level pledging conference on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Led by the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and joined by various countries worldwide, the pledging conference garnered more than $1.3 billion in total donations to help alleviate the suffering of millions of Yemenis, including women and children.

As the United Nations noted, 80 percent of the Yemeni population relies on aid assistance and protection. Each month, the UN’s humanitarian operations help provide essential relief to more than 10 million people of these Yemenis in need. The funds pledged today by our partners will be used to support the people most in need through a variety of programs and initiatives operating around the country.

“This pledging conference not only raises the necessary funding to help struggling Yemeni families survive but also spreads awareness of the continuous strife and turmoil our people are forced to live with every day that the Iran-backed Houthis refuse to end their unjust war,” affirms H.E. Dr. Ahmed Awad BinMubarak, Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to the United States. “The conference also reminded us that our partners remain unwavering in their commitment to seeing an end put to the suffering of all Yemenis, including those in Houthi controlled areas.”

This pledging conference comes at a critical time. Yesterday, the UN announced that the Houthis continued interference, and blockade of the aid process was forcing the organization to cut budgets and some programs all completely. The funds raised will help offset those cutbacks and help these programs continue their crucial work for the Yemeni people despite the Houthis’ antagonistic behavior.

“Ending the war is the only way to address the health, humanitarian and human development crisis in Yemen,” UN Secretary-General Martin Gutierres said. “I call on all parties to work with my special envoy and to agree on the United Nations’ proposal to achieve a nationwide ceasefire, make progress on economic and humanitarian measures to alleviate suffering, and to build confidence and resume an inclusive Yemeni-led process.”

As the United Nations decision to cut budgets and programs reminds us, the Houthis have yet again put their own interests above the needs of the Yemeni people. In April, the Arab Coalition announced a ceasefire in Yemen that was meant to help foster talks for a broader more comprehensive peace. However, the Houthi militia’s despicable and deplorable behavior demonstrates their refusal to come to the negotiation and act in good faith.

“The government and the world noted various reports and data issued by responsible UN agencies and reputable press institutions revealing the widespread manipulative and corrupt practices of Houthi militias in relation to relief and humanitarian aid, and their ongoing looting of relief materials with the ensuing devastating impact on those in real need in different parts of the country,” His Excellency Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed stated at the conference.

Despite the Houthis’ transgressions, the legitimate internationally recognized government of Yemen continues to work closely with its international partners to help innocent Yemenis in the face of the threat posed by the coronavirus. We worked with the World Health Organization to ensure the delivery of essential medical supplies and equipment. We worked with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre to prepare our medical facilities. We also have secured the support of a number of other international partners to help Yemen prepare for and confront the Covid-19 pandemic.

“COVID-19 is spreading rapidly throughout the country,” Martin Lowcock, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator stated. “We are supporting rapid response teams in every single district, importing essential supplies, and providing reliable information to help millions of people protect themselves.”

The Government of Yemen will continue to work closely with its international partners to ensure that essential humanitarian aid is delivered to the Yemenis most in need and reaffirms its commitment to reaching a peaceful, political resolution to the conflict.

“Once again, our partners demonstrated today that they are on the side of peace and stability for the Yemeni people,” notes H.E. Ambassador BinMubarak. “Alongside our fight against COVID-19, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to achieving such an important goal.”

The Government of Yemen’s Rejects Declaration by the Southern Transitional Council for Self-Administration in South of Yemen

The so-called Southern Transitional Council by announcing what it called “self-rule of the south” blew up all the efforts made months ago to implement the Riyadh agreement, and to address the repercussions of the armed rebellion in early August.

 This announcement is a clear rebellion against the legitimate government, a clear coup against the Riyadh agreement, and a continuation of the armed rebellion against the state in August 2019, an attempt to escape the repercussions of failure to provide anything to citizens in Aden who are suffering from the flames of crises, and the lack of services after the complete disruption of state institutions, the seizure of these institutions and preventing the government from performing its duties.

 The Yemeni government has dealt with full responsibility with the repercussions of the August coup and responded to the efforts of the brothers to contain the repercussions and to reach the Riyadh agreement, which the government was keen on implementing all of its provisions, and it carried out its duties despite clear intransigence and preventing it from performing its duties by what is called the transitional council and it implemented all that it had to on the military and security side, according to the matrix which was agreed upon with the kind patronage of brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which the transitional council rebelled against by preventing government forces from implementing it using military force, in addition to  Media campaigns that incite against the state, against the brothers, and against the Riyadh agreement.

 We hold the Transitional Council and its leaders who are in Abu Dhabi fully responsible for not implementing the provisions of the Riyadh Agreement leading to the complete coup against state institutions in the interim capital of Aden according to their statement issued yesterday, Saturday, April 25, 2020 AD and signed by Aidros Al-Zubaidi.

 While we hold the transitional council responsible for the consequences of this declaration which comes at a time when the members of our national army are achieving heroic epics on all fronts to confront the Houthi coup which constitutes clear support for the Houthi militia in its war against the Yemeni people, we affirm the ability of the heroes and leadership of our valiant national army to defend our unity, safety, sovereignty, national integrity and its protect it from any plans aimed at undermining it and tearing it apart under the forged labels and flimsy pretexts.

 We renew our call to the brothers in the Alliance to Support Legitimacy to shoulder their historical responsibilities towards the territorial integrity and unity of the Republic of Yemen, and to support the Yemeni government and people in protecting and preserving them from any destructive plans or projects.

 We also call on the international community, the United Nations, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council to condemn this coup against the state and its institutions and support the legitimate government, to implement Security Council resolutions affirming the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Yemen.

 The government salutes the state of the national consensus from all governorates, in particular the local authorities in the southern governorates, and from all the political parties and components and all the Yemeni people in various governorates who confirmed their rejection of these reckless steps, it confirms that it will remain faithful to its people and will work with all its efforts to continue to provide services and preserve the security and safety of citizens and countering the rebellion because these militias represent only themselves and do not represent the people of the South who embody national unity with their courageous and witnessed positions.

 We call on our Yemeni people wherever they are to align together and enhance the national cohesion to deter any attempts to harm the unity of the country, reject what was declared by the transitional council and stand with the state in the face of all forms of rebellion and coup and sensing the threats to Yemen’s soil and people by the Iranian tides and its various arms and to mobilize capacities to counter that and not be drawn into irresponsible reckless acts.

Embassy of the Republic of Yemen Condemns Iran-Backed Houthis for Endangering Yemenis to the Coronavirus and Urges International Pressur

Embassy of the Republic of Yemen Condemns Iran-Backed Houthis for Endangering Yemenis to the Coronavirus and Urges International Pressure

Tomorrow, Thursday, March 26, 2020, marks five years since Yemen’s legitimate government with the crucial help of the Arab Coalition acted to thwart the Iran-backed Houthis from taking over all of Yemen. It is not a day for celebration, despite the important security gains from territory retaken by the government.

The international community recognizes that peace is long overdue in Yemen. The legitimate government and its coalition members have made overtures, and we have been working closely with all United Nations Special Envoys and international partners to find some way to convince the Houthis to agree to a comprehensive cease-fire and to join in a unity government that would give all Yemenis – including the Houthis – a voice in the future of the country. Unfortunately, the actions of the Iran-backed Houthis over the past year have proven to the world that they are determined to continue and even intensify this conflict, no matter what the cost.

Most recently, they have cynically blocked food aid to millions of suffering Yemenis living under Houthi oppression; and the Houthis have refused to cooperate on basic health strategies to prevent numerous communities from the threat posed by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Just this January, the Houthis launched three missiles during Maghreb prayers at a mosque in the province of Marib, killing 111 worshippers and injuring more than 100 others. It was the latest manifestation of the Houthis’ callous disregard for the sanctity of civilian life. The Houthis also have indiscriminately planted more than 1 million land mines under Yemeni soil, forcibly conscripted thousands of child soldiers and indoctrinated many more young children in schools that include a mandatory daily recital of their slogan that horribly incites anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism. The contrast between the behavior and visions of Yemen’s legitimate government and the Iran-backed Houthis has never been clearer than now.

In the current global context, while Yemen has no confirmed cases yet of Coronavirus, the legitimate government has taken steps to ensure proper testing is available and promoted awareness of the virus in its controlled areas. It has worked with the World Health Organization to secure medical equipment, including test kits, hazmat suits, masks and gloves for local medical colleges and institutions. From other partners such as Saudi Arabia, the legitimate government has secured pledges of funding, technical expertise, and additional health resources to help with our pandemic preparedness efforts.

The Houthis, meanwhile, continue to import advanced weaponry and trainers from Iran, the country with the most severe Coronavirus outbreak in our region. They continue to block aid to Yemenis in Houthi-controlled areas and refuse to provide any kind of personal protective equipment, hoarding them along with the food and water intended for vulnerable and malnourished civilians.

The international community should not be surprised, given the Houthis’ past deplorable conduct and continued egregious actions to arrest, torture and execute innocent Yemenis on false charges; the politicization of courts; and the steady theft of humanitarian assistance that has been so grievous, it has forced the United Nations to suspend food deliveries to Houthi-controlled regions for months at a time.

“The Houthis have made it clear that they do not want peace, not on any terms, and are actively pushing a strategy to relentlessly increase the misery of the Yemeni people,” said Dr. Ahmed BinMubarak, Yemen’s Ambassador to the United States.” “The Houthis continue to blatantly violate international law, with few repercussions from the international community. Given the threat to all Yemenis posed by the COVID-19, we need a united front on the Houthis so that they come to the negotiation table once and for all – and in accordance with the established Three References (i.e., Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative & Implementation Mechanism, the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference and United Nations Security Council Resolutions, especially 2216).”

Indeed, on this fifth anniversary of the international effort to stop the Houthis, Yemen’s legitimate government is yet again reaffirming its desire for a comprehensive peace that can finally end this conflict. It is prepared to dialogue with anyone and work constructively with everyone to give the Yemeni people the security, stability, and prosperity they always have deserved.

Embassy of Republic of Yemen Condemns Houthis for Sentencing 35 Yemen Parliamentarians to Death to Fund Their Brutal War

Embassy of Republic of Yemen Condemns Houthis for Sentencing 35 Yemen Parliamentarians to Death to Fund Their Brutal War

March 04, 2020

The Embassy of the Republic of Yemen unequivocally condemns the Iranian-backed Houthi militia’s court for sentencing 35 Yemeni parliamentarians to death in absentia, including the President and Deputy Speaker, on charges of aiding Saudi Arabia and the Arab Coalition. The Houthis consistently use these trials as excuses to raid these officials’ properties and to confiscate their assets inside the country.

“This is not the first time the Iranian-backed Houthi militia has issued the death penalty in order to confiscate property to fund their cruel war and to terrorize innocent Yemeni people,” said Dr. Ahmed Awad BinMubarak, Ambassador of Yemen to the United States.

In the past few years, this illegal behavior has become standard operating procedure for the Houthis in order to fund their violent agenda. For example, the Houthis have put past Yemeni officials, including President Hadi, on trial as an excuse to pillage their assets. And for ordinary Yemenis, their fate is much worse: last July, 30 innocent Yemeni civilians were tortured and sentenced to death for “espionage”.

The Republic of Yemen calls on UN Security-General António Guterres and the international community to increase diplomatic, political, and economic pressure on the Houthis to stop their illegal trials of political opponents, immediately release all prisoners, and to stop extra-judicial killings.

Embassy of Republic of Yemen Condemns on Houthis Abduction and Detention of Dr. Hamid Aqlan, Urges International Community & the Human Rights Organizations to Act

Embassy of Republic of Yemen Condemns Houthis Abduction and Detention of Dr. Hamid Aqlan, Urges International Community & the Human Rights Organizations to Act

January 31, 2020

The Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Washington, D.C. unequivocally condemns the Iran-backed Houthis’ abduction of Dr. Hamid Aqlan, the president of the Sana’a-based University of Science and Technology, and his transfer to an unnamed prison without notification to his family or colleagues. His replacement by Adel Al-Mutawakkl, a known Houthi affiliate, is yet another instance in a long line of Houthi interference in Yemeni academics to promote their evil and flawed ideology.

“The Iran-backed Houthi’s abuse of the Yemeni higher education system is intended to warp the Yemeni people’s minds to be sympathetic towards terrorism,” said Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen Dr. Ahmed Awab BinMubarak. “They have consistently violated the basic human rights of the people within their territory, despite their pledge to the Stockholm Agreement.”

This is not the first time that the Houthis have interfered with the University. In 2014, the group stormed the campus, confiscated university equipment and threatened its closure. In 2018, militias arrested several professors from the University of Sanaa, holding them in similar censored prisons, and have continued to reject their pay.

The government of Yemen calls on the international community to exert necessary maximum pressure on the Houthi militias to stop their abduction of prominent Yemeni academics, to make their prisons, uncensored, and to release immediately all prisoners in accordance with the Stockholm Agreement and the related UN Security Council Resolutions.