Reopen Sanaa airport to end suffering, says Yemen govt
Airport should be re-opened to put an end to the people’s suffering regarding transportation Marwan Dammaj,
Yemen Minister of Culture
rimbo (Sweden) — Yemen’s Saudi-backed government has proposed reopening the Houthiheld airport in the capital Sanaa on condition planes are inspected in the airports of Aden or Sayun which are under its control, two government officials said on Friday.
The Houthis rejected the proposal floated at UN-sponsored peace talks in Sweden that are aimed at cementing confidencebuilding measures that could lead to a ceasefire.
But given this is only the second day of the talks due to last until December 13, and with both sides are coming under mounting pressure for action because of the human toll of the war, there could be room for concessions. Marwan Dammaj, Yemen’s Minister of Culture in the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, said Sanaa airport should be re-opened to put “an end to the people’s suffering regarding transportation”.
“But it should be a domestic airport from where Yemenis can go to Aden and then leave to international destinations,” added Dammaj, a member of the government delegation.
Hamza Al Kamali, another member of the delegation, said airplanes must stop in airports in the southern city of Aden or Sayun, east of the capital, for inspection before leaving Yemen.
The Houthi delegation head at the peace talks, Mohammed Abdusalam, rejected the proposal. “The airport should be opened in accordance to international standards, and we do not accept inspections,” Abdusalam told Al Jazeera television.
A UN source declined to comment.
The United Nations is also trying to avert a fullscale assault on Hodeida, the entry point for most of Yemen’s commercial goods and aid.
Both sides have reinforced positions in the Red Sea city in sporadic battles after a de-escalation last month.
Yemen’s government is sticking to its position that Hodeida should be under its control, said Kamali.