UN report: Houthi militias deprive Yemenis of aid – Details

A UN report accused the Houthi terrorist militia of obstructing the delivery of aid to deserving Yemenis.

In a recent report, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said: “Humanitarian agencies in Yemen have faced almost 3,000 disruptions that have prevented aid from reaching those in need, noting that the Houthis have placed multiple restrictions”.

Over the course of the year, humanitarian partners reported 2,928 incidents of aid being denied to people in need in 2021, leaving 10.9 million people without food, Yemen Arab reported.

The report, “Yemen: An Annual Overview of Humanitarian Access 2021” notes that the Houthi militia has intensified bureaucratic and logistical obstacles and security risks, hampering the ability of aid agencies to deliver assistance.

According to the report, more than 90 percent of reported incidents of non-access to Houthi militia-controlled areas in 2012 were related to bureaucratic restrictions, including the denial of travel permits or delays and refusal or delays in approving sub-project agreements.

The report noted that movement restrictions were the predominant type of reported inaccessibility incidents and had increased steadily since 2018, reaching the highest point in late 2020.

The Houthi militia has also been hampering aid access by refusing to conduct needs assessments, monitoring activities and humanitarian coordination.

According to the report, humanitarian partners in areas controlled by the Houthi militia reported that humanitarian movements at roadside checkpoints were banned, with special requirements imposed on humanitarian missions at checkpoints.

It said the ban on humanitarian movements in areas under the control of militias was often manifested in the requirement of a male guardian to accompany Yemeni aid workers on field missions, which led to the cancelation of field missions and the delivery of aid.

In areas controlled by the Houthi militia, partners reported that the majority of incidents of interference affected procurement, recruitment and project design, delaying or causing temporary suspension of some humanitarian activities.

The UN report noted that in 2012, interference with the implementation of humanitarian activities by the Houthi militia was repeatedly reported, with 890 incidents of intervention reported, most of them related to delays in the approval of sub-agreements for the project.