Saudi-led coalition restrains food vessels as millions of Yemenis face starvation

YemenExtra

M.A.

The Yemeni Red Sea Ports Organization confirmed that the Saudi-led coalition forces are holding several food ships and forcing ships to go to other ports, belonging to the coalition countries, in an attempt to starve the Yemeni people.

The Vice President of the Foundation, Yahya Sharafaddean, denied in a press conference today at the port of Hodeidah, the allegations of the Saudi-led coalition’s media outlets claiming that only oil vessels are restricted, stressing that  false news is promoted by the media of the Saudi-led coalition as part of a  media war.

He further explained that the Saudi-led coalition hinders the entry of any any ships, whether they are commercial or humanitarian to the docks of the port.

Sharaf al-Din pointed out that the alliance exploited the difficult conditions of Yemeni ports and the port of Hodeidah in particular because of the bombing of the Ras Issa oil port in the middle of 2017, which was receiving large oil tankers. This has lead to the accumulation of tankers due to limited oil berths and the capacity of the port of Hodeidah.

He attributed the overcrowding of tankers to the illegal procedures conducted by the Saudi-led coalition as it keeps ships detained for weeks and then grants them entry permits at once, knowing at the same time the limited functioning berths for the reception of oil tankers in the port of Hodeidah, defined by two berths, a submarine and a load of not more than five thousand tons.

“Waiting for commercial ships in the submarine is normal and the media of aggression is claiming that it is a shameful detention instead, however a detention is accompanied by the presence of security authorities on board those ships, which had never and will never happen in the port of Hodeidah,” he said.

The deputy head of the Red Sea Ports Corporation said that the tankers expected to enter the submersible in accordance with their turns, reiterating that the port of Hodeidah is keen to receive all aid and relief aid for Hodeidah port remains the only lifeline on which the Yemeni people depend.”