RIYADH: Arab coalition spokesman Col. Turki Al-Maliki said on Monday that Houthi militias continue to violate terms of the Swedish cease-fire agreement in Yemen.
He accused the militias of blocking UN aid ships carrying food from moving from Hodeidah to the port of Sanaa.
“The Houthi militias are obstructing relief and humanitarian work,” said Al-Maliki. “This is a violation of international humanitarian law, and a disruption of what was agreed in the Swedish agreement.”
Under the terms of the agreement, signed in Hodeidah, Houthi forces were to withdraw from the city and the port within 14 days. Militiamen were also expected to withdraw from the ports of Salif and Ras Issa to the north of Sanaa.
Al-Maliki, though, claimed that fighters continue to dig trenches in the province to store weapons, have deployed snipers and banned armaments, and used the area to launch two ballistic missiles after the agreement was signed in December.
Al-Maliki also praised the efforts of the UN team assigned to monitor the cease-fire.
The retired Dutch Major General Patrick Cammaert is overseeing the team keeping track of the agreement reached last month in Sweden.
Al-Maliki said the Houthi militia continues to dig trenches, and use dirt mounds to camouflage and store weapons inside them.
He added that they had violated international law by allegedly planting sea mines in the port and beyond, threatening shipping in the southern Red Sea.
There have been 213 ballistic missiles launched by the militias toward the Kingdom between March 26, 2015 and Jan. 7, 2019.
Meanwhile, more air, land and sea relief ports in Yemen have been opened, and the total number of maritime permits issued by the Joint Forces Command from March 26, 2015 to Jan. 7, 2019 was 5,076. Air permits for the same period were issued for 13,213 passengers, and there were 1,229 land permits.
Almost 300 of these permits went to humanitarian aid organizations, vital for the rebuilding and resupply of Yemen.
