Grundberg: Houthi attacks on ports halted Yemeni oil exports

English - Wednesday 23 November 2022 الساعة 05:57 pm
Aden, NewsYemen:

 The UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, confirmed that the attacks of the Houthi militia - the Iranian arm in Yemen - on oil ports led to the suspension of oil exports, pointing to the serious economic repercussions of those attacks.

Grundberg said in a briefing to the UN Security Council, on Tuesday evening, that the Houthis had carried out, over the past weeks, "attacks on oil terminals and ports in Hadhramaut and Shabwa governorates with the aim of depriving the Yemeni government of its main source of revenue from oil exports."

He added, "The latest of these attacks was what happened (Monday) at the oil terminal in Al-Dhaba port in Hadramout," adding that "attacks targeting infrastructure and oil companies ultimately undermine the well-being of the Yemeni people."

The international envoy said, "Although the levels of violence in general have witnessed only a slight increase compared to what was the case during the six months of the truce, the past weeks witnessed an escalation in the intensity of incidents in the governorates of Ma'rib and Taiz, which caused civilian casualties."

While he indicated that he is still in contact with all parties in order to renew the humanitarian truce that ended in early October.

He stated, "In addition to efforts to renew the truce, I am continuing to consult with the parties not only to expand the scope of the truce, but also to initiate discussions on a path leading to a more comprehensive settlement of the conflict."

The UN envoy said that the absence of a major military escalation so far has facilitated the continuation of his discussions with the two parties, as well as with the countries of the region.

While noting that the recent developments confirm his conviction that addressing urgent humanitarian and economic issues has become a necessity in the current term to avoid the deterioration of the conditions of civilians, he said, "Achieving a sustainable solution will only be possible within the context of a comprehensive settlement of the conflict."