Sanaa slams UN envoy for “double standards” over maritime ban on Saudi ports

SANAA, July 24 (YPA) – The Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sanaa sharply criticized UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg for expressing concern over measures taken by the Yemeni Armed Forces against Saudi Arabia to break the blockade on Yemen, accusing him of double standards and clear bias toward Riyadh.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Foreign Ministry said the UN Special Envoy had expressed “grave concern” over the measures taken by the Yemeni Armed Forces to break the blockade on Yemen, while failing to voice any concern over what it described as Saudi Arabia’s 12-year blockade of the country, which it said has caused the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.

“Perhaps the UN envoy has forgotten that he is the envoy to Yemen, not to Saudi Arabia, as he expresses concern over the blockade of Saudi ports,” the statement read.

The ministry said such positions encourage the Saudi regime to continue its crimes against the Yemeni people and serve to cover up violations of international norms, laws, and conventions.

It stressed that stressed that such positions are unacceptable to the Government of the Republic of Yemen and amount to a disregard for the suffering of the Yemeni people.

The ministry reaffirmed Yemen’s legitimate and complete right to take all necessary measures to lift the unjust siege imposed on the country.

It concluded its statement by saying that the large-scale public rallies in Yemen had given the Yemeni Armed Forces a mandate to impose restrictions on Saudi ports until the blockade on Yemen is lifted.

@E.Y.M