Hudaydah Invaders to Blame for Yemen Humanitarian Crisis: Houthi Leader

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi said members of the invading coalition as well as the US and Britain must be held accountable for the raid and a consequent escalation of humanitarian crisis.

Urging international organizations to adopt a serious stance against such an unprecedented assault on the Yemeni port, the official underlined that the Houthi Ansarullah Movement will keep assisting with the delivery of international humanitarian aid to Yemen, al-Masirah TV reported.

He also denied reports from the supporters of Saudi coalition about closure of Hudaydah, slamming it as a “vain attempt” to mislead the world’s public opinion and misrepresent the facts for justifying another aggressive operation against the people of Yemen.

The warplanes and warships of Saudi-led multinational coalition pounded Hudaydah port for a second day on Thursday to seize the strategic port, which is home to 600,000 people and is controlled by the Houthi forces.

The port is the main route for essential goods into Yemen, where 22 million people are in need of humanitarian aid and 8.4 million face starvation, according to the United Nations, which says the figure could reach 10 million by year end.

Aid agencies have said the battle may exacerbate an already catastrophic humanitarian situation.

The UN has warned that in a worst-case scenario, the battle could cost up to 250,000 lives and cut off aid supplies to millions of people.

Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies have been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthi Ansarullah movement in an attempt to restore power to fugitive former president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.

Over 14,000 Yemenis, including women and children, have died in the deadly military campaign.