UN envoy for Yemen issues important statement
SANAA, Aug. 31 (YPA) – The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, is deeply concerned by the major fuel shortages in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa and the rest of the northern provinces, which are under unfair siege from Saudi-led coalition countries, due to the continued their intransigence and refusal to bring ships detained at sea despite obtaining permits to enter the port of Hodeida, a statement by UN special envoy for Yemen said on Sunday.
Martin Griffiths, in the statement, called on the parties to work urgently with his Office to reach a solution that guarantees Yemenis’ access to their basic needs of fuel and oil derivatives and the use of associated revenues to pay civil servant salaries
“Fuel shortages have devastating and widespread humanitarian consequences for the civilian population. Life in Yemen is unforgiving enough without forcing Yemenis to struggle even harder for their everyday needs that are connected to fuel such as clean water, electricity and transportation, the statement read.
The flow of essential commercial imports, including of food, fuel and medical supplies, and their distribution to the civilian population across the country must be ensured,” the Special Envoy added.
He urged Parties to engage constructively, urgently, in good faith and with no preconditions with the efforts of my Office in that regard.
The UN envoy for Yemen confirmed that his office has consistently worked to support the Parties in finding agreements to ensure the continued and regular flow of commercial imports of fuel into Yemen through Hodeidah port and to put associated revenues toward paying the salaries of civil servants.
Following acute fuel shortages in the Autumn of 2019, the Office of the Special Envoy facilitated the Parties’ agreement to the Temporary Arrangements in November 2019. The Temporary Arrangements successfully allowed for the entry of an estimated 72 ships carrying over 1.3 million tons of commercial fuel imports into Hodeidah port from November 2019 until April 2020, according to the statement.
E.M