UN must press Houthis to stop truce violations

Endless violations by the Iran-backed Houthi militias are threatening the overall political process in Yemen and the international community should not remain a silent spectator.

Right from the beginning, the Saudi-led Arab Coalition’s singular intention has been to spread justice and uphold the legitimacy in Yemen.

The Arab Coalition has taken the correct step by sharing its concerns in a letter to the United Nations Security Council about the Iran-backed Houthi violations and their impact on the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement.

The persistent and deliberate violations of the agreement by the Houthi militias indicate that they just do not care about peace or international opinion.

A serious note should be taken of the fact that since the agreement, the Iran-backed militias have committed 1,038 violations, reinforcing their military positions among civilian populations. Attacks targeting civilian populated areas have killed a total of 74 individuals and wounded 563 others.

The Houthi militias have also failed to withdraw from the ports as agreed in Stockholm.

All these actions are indisputably direct violations of several provisions of the Stockholm Agreement and Resolution 2451 (2018).

One of the most blatant violations, as the Arab Coalition correctly noted, was the targeting of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) on Jan. 17, in an attempt to intimidate RCC members. The RCC plays a central role in implementing the Stockholm Agreement.

Among the multitude of violations, the Houthis also continue to block the passage of major humanitarian relief convoys, despite vessels being cleared by the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism in Hodeidah and Al Saleef ports.

The Houthi atrocities do not spare even the media personnel. It may be recalled that just last week, a cowardly terrorist attack carried out by the Houthi militias in Mocha against unarmed civilians led to the death of Ziad Al Sharabi, a cameraman with Abu Dhabi TV, and injury of several others including Faisal Al Dhahbani, Abu Dhabi TV reporter.

Previous experiences are proof of the fact that the Houthi militias use peace negotiations as a tactic instead of commitment and indulge in brazen attempts to derail the peace process.

Arab Coalition members, on their part, have been continuing to sincerely support the UN and its work. Dr Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, has made the stand clear by stating: “We have a distinct opportunity to address the Yemen crisis. The UN role is critical. We must make Stockholm work.”