UN demands immediate pullback of forces from Yemen ports

The UN Security Council on Friday called on the warring parties in Yemen to immediately implement a deal to pull their forces out of three key ports and a key grain depot.

In a declaration, the 15-member council welcomed the recent Un-sponsored agreement between Yemen’s Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition fighting the country.

They called for “the immediate implementation” of the first step of the deal, which includes the various factions first pulling their forces back from the ports of As-salif and Ras Isa and then from the port city of Hodeida, AFP reported.

Martin Griffiths, the UN special envoy for Yemen, said on Tuesday he hoped the redeployment of forces would happen as early as Tuesday or Wednesday but there was no indication that it had happened.

On Thursday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres held a meeting on the issue in New York with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Under the agreement struck in Sweden on February 17, forces would redeploy outside the ports and away from areas that are key to the humanitarian relief effort in Yemen, devastated by famine and outbreaks of disease after years of conflict.

The ports are in the Houthi-held west of the country. The agreement also sets out free access to the grain warehouses at Red Sea Mills, under control of the Saudibacked former Yemeni government forces.

The UN has not had access to the grain depots since September and estimates that the stockpiles there could be enough to feed 3.7 million people for a month.

The Saudi kingdom has enlisted the UAE as its closest ally in the invasion which began in March 2015 to restore a former government after it resigned and fled to Riyadh.

The war has claimed thousands since its onset and placed Yemen very close to the edge of famine.

The Security Council members also “expressed concern at continued reports of violations of the cease-fire” which has been in place since December.

“They called on the parties to seize this opportunity to move towards sustainable peace by exercising restraint, de-escalating tensions, honoring their commitment to the Stockholm Agreement and moving forward with its swift implementation.”

About 80 percent of Yemen’s population, or around 24 million people, are in need of food aid, including 10 million who are one step away from famine, according to the UN. The country’s economy has been brought to its knees by restrictions placed by the Saudi-backed former government for deliveries of imports.

The war has killed over 15,000 civilians and sparked a cholera epidemic and humanitarian crisis.