Unrest languishes in Yemen as Houthi defeat looms

CAIRO – 22 June 2018: The Houthi rebels are keen to launch systematic revenge attacks on the civilians in the Yemeni city of Al Hodeidah, as the Iran-aligned militia lost more than 626 of its fighters during the fight against the Yemeni army backed by the Arab coalition to regain the port city.

The Houthi rebels resorted to violence against the civilians of the port city in an obvious breach to Geneva conventions. According to eyewitnesses, Houthi militias targeted homes and used other civilian facilities in the city as military barracks against the people’s will.

Emirati Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash said in press statements in June that the Houthis are using civilians including children as human shields, and placing landmines around the city’s port in a desperate attempt to hinder the advancement of the Yemeni army.

The Saudi – led Arab coalition urged the UN to denounce the Houthi attempts to create humanitarian crises inside the vital city of Al Hodeidah in order to put the blame on the Yemeni legitimate forces.

The militias were keen to launch random attacks on neighborhoods with high population to curb the coalition’s military operations to liberate the city, according to several media reports.

Arab coalition spokesperson Turki bin Saleh revealed in previous press statements that the Houthis have rejected several initiatives to turn in Al Hodeidah peacefully, adding that the legitimate Yemeni forces exerted considerable military pressure on the Houthis to allow humanitarian aid into the city.

The Houthis launched several ballistic rockets against Saudi Arabia to drag the coalition out of Al Hodeidah, which is considered as the militias’ main port to receive military aid from Iran.
The United Arab Emirates announced on July 1 a hiatus of the offensive it is backing against Houthis in Yemen's port city of Al Hodeida, giving the UN peace efforts a chance.

"We welcome the continuing efforts by UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, to achieve an unconditional Houthi withdrawal from Al Hodeida city and port," UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Gargash said on Twitter.

The Houthi rebels led an armed insurgency in 2015 against the legitimate President of Yemen Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi which led to the military intervention of the Saudi-led Arab coalition.