November 23, 2024 08:14 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
'Third World War has begun:' Ex-Ukraine military commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny | UK-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations to resume in early 2024 | UK can arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits country based on ICC warrant | Centre to send over 10,000 additional soldiers to violence-hit Manipur amid fresh violence | Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed during encounter with security forces in Sukma
UN monitoring chief welcomes Houthi offer to unilaterally withdraw from key Yemeni port of Hudaydah

UN monitoring chief welcomes Houthi offer to unilaterally withdraw from key Yemeni port of Hudaydah

| @indiablooms | 11 May 2019, 01:06 am

New York, May 11 (IBNS): As Yemenis continue to finalize redeployment procedures in line with the UN-brokered Hudaydah Agreement, under which Government coalition and rebel leaders are to pull forces out of the key port city of Hudaydah, the Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee on Friday welcomed an offer by the Houthi opposition to begin a unilateral withdrawal.

In his statement issued on Friday, Danish Lieutenant General Michael Lollesgaard, who heads the team of Security Council-mandated UN observers and monitors, said that the UN Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) “will monitor and report on this unilateral redeployment”, due to begin on Saturday, and be completed by Tuesday.

Lt. Gen. Lollesgaard noted this was “a first practical step on the ground” since the Agreement concluded after historic UN-led consultations between Government and Houthi leaders in Stockholm at the end of last year, which marked a breakthrough in the civil conflict which has engulfed Yemen for the past four years.

However, he stressed that it must be followed by “the committed, transparent and sustained actions of the parties to fully deliver on their obligations”. Apart from the port of Hudaydah which is key to the import of food and medicines to all Yemenis, the Houths have agreed to withdraw from the other regional ports of Salif and Ras-Issa.

“Furthermore”, the Lt. Gen. continued, “this unilateral redeployment should allow for establishing a UN leading role in supporting the Red Sea Ports Corporation in managing the ports”, as well as for enhancing the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM), in accordance with the Agreement.

Hudaydah had been the focus of clashes between Government forces and Houthi opposition fighters. As a crucial gateway for desperately needed aid to enter, the full implementation of the Hudaydah Agreement remains instrumental to ensuring effective humanitarian access into Yemen where millions remain dependent on life-saving assistance.

“The Yemeni parties must continue to urgently work towards this goal, and all commitments made in Stockholm in December 2018”, he said, adding that the UN “will continue to support the parties’ in this regard so that they deliver on their obligations towards the Yemeni people and return peace and stability to their land”.

UNICEF/Taha Almahbashi

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Related Images
Xi Jinping, Putin in Russia 22 Mar 2023, 02:56 pm
Related Videos