UAE Committed To Accelerating Cooperation With UN To Boost Humanitarian Relief In Yemen, Says Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh - Final Add

At the same time, we, as the Coalition, are planning for all scenarios.

(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 22nd Jun, 2018) At the same time, we, as the Coalition, are planning for all scenarios. And that planning is a part of every component of the operation – there are not two separate plans, military and humanitarian, rather, there is one, integrated plan fully incorporating both aspects of the operation.

I will highlight five key elements on the humanitarian side: o First: the provision of aid to Hodeida residents – what we are calling the "surge" component of the plan.

? These numbers are additional to the 100,000 tons of food that the UN has already stockpiled in Hodeida, which it estimates can cover 6.6 million people for 1 month.

? The UAE contribution entails 35,000 tonnes of additional food aid pre- positioned in Yemen and other proximate locations, to be delivered by sea, air, and land.

? Ten vessels are already stationed near or are en route to Hodeida. Additional vessels are also prepositioned for deployment at ports in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

? Seven United Arab Emirates-registered aircraft, with airdrop capacity, are available to launch a humanitarian air bridge.

? 100 trucks contracted by the United Arab Emirates to deliver food by convoy from Aden. The first convoy distributed aid south of Al Hodeida this week.

? Again, there is a specific focus on the needs of women and girls, as well as boys and men.

o Second: we are prepared to restore the port in case the Houthis damage it.

? We have pre-positioned cranes, construction materials, and experts to immediately move in and either repair or reconstruct the port in a very short period of time. The intention is to increase capacity and resume international aid and commercial shipments as fast as possible. Currently the port has only 2 large cranes, 1 of which is semi-operational.

? We have also organized de-mining crews to ensure that sea lanes can be reopened swiftly.

o Third: plans are in place to increase country-wide aid flows through alternative channels should the Houthis disrupt or destroy Hodeida port.

? These contingency plans reach beyond the Hodeida metropolitan population and include airlifts and airdrops, increased aid flows through other ports, and new road access routes.

o Fourth: we are enabling the secure and safe passage for civilians out of conflict areas. We are coordinating with the International Organization for Migration and UNHCR to ensure readiness. Our forces have also dropped leaflets, informing civilians how to avoid harm if they come near areas of active conflict.

o Fifth: we are focused on deconfliction. We aim to stabilize areas quickly, to make them safe for civilians, and safe for the operations of international humanitarian relief organizations.

This includes identifying humanitarian infrastructure, as well as humanitarian convoys and relief personnel. We are also working very closely with EHOC on maintaining the no-strike list that is integrated into their operations. We are committed with the UN to investigate any damage, such as that reported earlier this week to the windshield of an unoccupied WFP Land Cruiser.

I do not want to speculate about the duration of military operations. We hope for a rapid conclusion, and for the success of Martin Griffith’s mediation efforts, but we must responsibly plan for other outcomes. We are facing a group that is armed by Iran and that has already vowed to take a scorched earth approach no matter the cost. A group that comprises only 3% of the Yemeni population is holding the entire country of 27 million hostage at gunpoint.

So our focus will be on scaling up the humanitarian work that we already have underway in Yemen, in close coordination with the United Nations. I would like to emphasize how seriously the coalition takes its humanitarian commitments, as well as its obligations under international law and international humanitarian law. I ask that the international community holds Houthi forces to the same standards. The people of Yemen deserve all parties’ respect and support as the legitimate government attempts to liberate the country from the intolerable occupation and suffering imposed by the Houthis.

We must also keep in mind what the Houthis have done during this conflict to Yemen’s most vulnerable populations, including women and children. As Mai Aleryani of the Yemen Women’s Union reported to the ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment meeting Yesterday, despite progress in Yemen towards women’s rights and empowerment, that progress has been drastically terminated and reversed in areas under Houthi control, with women activists now being harassed, imprisoned, and dragged from their homes at night by the Houthis.

While the Coalition looks to protect these most vulnerable populations, we also have a larger vision for the future prosperity and safety of all Yemen.

While understandably all eyes are now turned to Hodeida, we continue to believe that this conflict can only be concluded with a Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political solution under UN auspices. But that political agreement will only be the start of our vision for the full recovery of Yemen, which will require country-wide stability, development, and investment. Only then will Yemen begin to heal from this destructive conflict, to rid itself of extremism, and the benefits of lasting peace.