Protecting Hudaydah civilians priority to gov't: Yemeni Min.

CAIRO – 6 July 2018: Yemen's Minister of Information Muammar al-Eryani affirmed in statements that Yemeni civilians in al-Hudaydah city are suffering mainly because of the violations of Houthi militias who use civilians as human protecting shields during clashes.

Al-Eryani tweeted on Thursday that Houthi militias know that the safety of civilians is the priority of the legitimate government in Yemen; therefore, they use them in the middle of battles to survive.

١-تستمر معاناة المواطنين اليمنيين في الحديدة بسبب السياسات التي تتبعها الميليشيا الإنقلابية في إستخدام المدنيين كدرع نجاة من العمليات العسكرية ..
يدرك الحوثيون أن الحكومة الشرعية وتحالف دعم الشرعية يضعان حماية المدنيين في أوليات حساباتهم أثناء عملية تحرير الحديدة ..

— معمر الإرياني (@ERYANIM) July 5, 2018

Moreover, Al-Eryani wondered about discussions of some international organizations regarding the situation in Yemen, especially closing the roads in al-Hudaydah, without pointing out to Houthi militias and the actions they committed as they keep controlling the city.

“Why these organizations never mention the Houthis’ responsibility over this closure especially that they are the main controllers over the city at the moment.” Eryani stated.

He also demanded the international organizations to attribute the current violations in Hudaydah to the armed militias which use civilians as human shields. “We also wish these organizations to make it clear in their reports that civilians usually escape the conflict zones heading to other locations of which the Yemeni government has control over.” Eryani added in his twitter thread.

He affirmed that the government is extremely keen on maintain and protecting the civilians lives, and try as possible to provide them safe roads and passages to move safely from the militia control areas.

The situation has been escalating and deteriorating rapidly in al-Hudaydah city since June 2018. Clashes have been increasing between the forces of the Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and Houthis as both sides accused each other of using civilians as a protecting shield; however international media outlets have been reporting that the flaming battle caused the closure of certain main roads, preventing humanitarian access to civilians.

Hodeida International Airport has been the goal of both sides; as the Saudi Arabian-led military forces in Yemen has claimed more than once that it has been liberated of Houthis; on the other hand the armed militias are giving frequent statements assures that they are still controlling over the vital airport.