Coalition concerned over Red Cross exit

Al Houthis are responsible for jeopardising the lives of humanitarian workers, says Arab coalition

ASaudi-led Arab coalition, fighting Iran-allied Al Houthi militants in Yemen said yesterday it is concerned about a decision by the International Committee for Red Cross to withdraw 71 of its staffers from the war-torn country.

On Thursday, the Red Cross announced the withdrawal, citing security reasons and threats.

The coalition confirmed its commitment to facilitate the operation of relief organisations in government-controlled areas in Yemen.

“The alliance is keen to provide the necessary protection and guarantee the safety of international humanitarian organisations in Yemen,” the coalition added.

Threatening the life of any relief worker in Yemen violates international norms and laws, it added.

“Those who perpetrate this crime should bear legal responsibility in front of the international community.”

Since it started its military operation in Yemen in 2015, the Arab Coalition has observed “the highest standards” for protecting civilians and aid workers there, the alliance’s spokesman

Malaki said.

He accused Al Houthis of putting lives of civilians and aid workers in jeopardy.

In April, a Lebanese Red Cross worker was shot dead as he was returning along with a team of aid workers from Yemen’s volatile southern city of Taiz.

“While the Yemen delegation has received numerous threats in the past, we cannot now accept additional risk less than two months after a gunman killed a staff member,” the Red Cross said in a statement on Thursday.

Around 450 Red Cross employees remain in Yemen, which is in the grip of devastating violence triggered by Al Houthi militias’ attempt to grab Colonel Turki Al power from the internationally recognised government in the country.

In March 2015, Saudi Arabia and partners, including the United Arab Emirates, started a military campaign against Iran-backed Al Houthis after they seized the capital Sana’a.

Government forces, supported by the coalition, have since retaken vast territory from Al Houthis.

They are currently marching towards the Al Houthi-occupied city of Hodeida.

The port city is strategic because it is one of the last lifelines where Iran is able to smuggle in weapons to the militants.

Coalition forces have touted the ‘imminent’ liberation of Hodeida in the coming weeks.