Another Yemen-Bound Fuel Ship Seized by Saudi-Led Coalition in Violation of UN-Brokered Truce
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Saudi-led coalition seized yet another Yemen-bound fuel ship in blatant violation of the UN-brokered ceasefire, the Yemen Gas Company (YGC) said.
The fuel ship, Lady Sarah, was seized on Wednesday while carrying 8,230 tons of gas, according to Yemen's Arabic-language al-Masirah television website, citing a YGC statement.
The latest seizure "brought the number of Yemen-bound fuel ships confiscated to three," according to the statement, which did not specify a time frame.
According to the statement, the Lady Sarah, like other fuel ships seized by Saudi forces, had been inspected and given UN permission to enter Yemen.
Meanwhile, Yemen's National Salvation Government's chief negotiator, Mohammed Abdulsalam, stated that the Saudi-led coalition is not upholding the truce properly and is instead "killing time, which our nation does not accept."
Over the past year and a half, the Saudi-led coalition has seized dozens of ships, preventing Yemen from receiving much-needed fuel imports in the midst of a crippling siege.
The act of maritime piracy has exacerbated Yemen's humanitarian situation, while a significant portion of the country's vital sectors, including hospitals, electricity, and water, have already come to a halt.
Saudi Arabia launched the devastating war against Yemen in March 2015 in collaboration with a number of its allies and with arms and logistics support from the US and several Western states.
It aimed to return to power the former Riyadh-backed regime and crush the popular Ansarullah resistance movement, which has been running state affairs in the absence of an effective government in Yemen.
Despite killing tens of thousands of Yemenis and turning entire Yemen into the scene of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, the Saudi-led coalition failed to fulfill its goals.
Yemen’s initial two-month UN-backed truce started at the beginning of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan on April 2 and was extended for another 2-month on June 2.
In line with the agreement, the coalition agreed to end its attacks on Yemeni soil and end a simultaneous siege that it has been enforcing against Yemen.
However, it has violated the truce on several occasions by attacking the war-battered country, canceling flights, and confiscating fuel ships, to name a few.
Figures announced by Yemen’s Ministry of Public Health and Population show that by June 30, since the beginning of the ceasefire, at least 387 civilians have been either killed or injured in Saudi-led coalition attacks.