Sep. 4, 2020: Conditions in Yemen before the arrival of Corona – The Emirates at Socotra – Houthi snipers kill children at Taiz – Mismanagement and corruption in the Saudi-led Yemen War – and more
Schwerpunkte / Key aspects
Kursiv: Siehe Teil 2 / In Italics: Look in part 2: https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-677b-yemen-war-mosaic-677b
Klassifizierung / Classification
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Coronavitrus und Seuchen / Most important: Coronavirus and epidemics
cp2 Allgemein / General
cp2a Allgemein: Saudische Blockade / General: Saudi blockade
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
cp6 Separatisten und Hadi-Regierung im Südjemen / Separatists and Hadi government in Southern Yemen
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
cp9 USA
cp9a USA-Iran Krise: Spannungen am Golf / US-Iran crisis: Tensions at the Gulf
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
cp12b Sudan
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms Trade
cp13b Mercenaries / Söldner
cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
cp18 Kampf um Hodeidah / Hodeidah battle
cp19 Sonstiges / Other
Klassifizierung / Classification
***
**
*
(Kein Stern / No star)
? = Keine Einschatzung / No rating
A = Aktuell / Current news
B = Hintergrund / Background
C = Chronik / Chronicle
D = Details
E = Wirtschaft / Economy
H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions
K = Krieg / War
P = Politik / Politics
pH = Pro-Houthi
pS = Pro-Saudi
T = Terrorismus / Terrorism
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
Ältere einführende Artikel u. Überblicke für alle, die mit den Ereignissen im Jemen noch nicht vertraut sind, hier:
Yemen War: Older introductory articles, overviews, for those who are still unfamiliar with the Yemen war here:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-einfuehrende-artikel-u-ueberblicke
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
(** B H K P)
Conditions in Yemen before the arrival of the coronavirus
Right now, conditions in Yemen are worse than they have been at any time since the Obama administration green lighted the Saudi coalition’s war against Yemen in 2015. Even before the coronavirus came to Yemen, the economy, healthcare infrastructure, ability of governmental entities to function and access to food and water had been devastated by five years of bombing and blockade. Saudi missiles and bombs have been targeting dams, hospitals, food producing factories, health clinics, farms, and food storage facilities. Over half of Yemen’s healthcare facilities have been physically destroyed by these attacks.
An air and naval blockade of the country has restricted imports of food and medicine. Supplies sent to Yemen, if they are allowed to reach port, sit on docks and warehouses. In the rare cases they are allowed inland, they must reach their destinations over a transportation network that has been blasted to pieces.
Saudi bombs, often United States made, often dropped from United States manufactured aircraft with the logistical support of the United States military have not only targeted the Yemeni civilian population by destroying their food supply, access to potable water and health care. Weddings, funerals, marketplaces, fishing boats, government buildings, and large gatherings have been targeted and bombed. There have been attacks on crowded civilian targets that are followed up with second strikes aimed at killing the first responders that come to help wounded civilians. The war has displaced 3.6 million people who now live in refugee camps.
Prior to the war, Yemen had to import 90% of its food and was one of the most water stressed nations in the world. The war has been starving Yemenis to death. Estimates made in late 2018 stated that 85,000 children had died from hunger or preventable disease, one every 10 minutes, since 2016. UNICEF warned that 2.4 million children. A majority go whom are under the age of five, faced acute malnutrition earlier this year, 24 million of Yemen’s 30 million people face food shortages and poor sanitation due to the destruction of water systems have led to major epidemics of swine flue, dengue fever, diphtheria and the greatest cholera epidemic in recorded history, affecting over 1.7 million people and still escalating at a pace of 10,00 cases a week.
The Yemeni economy is in shambles. Shortages have caused massive inflation, putting the cost of basic supplies beyond the reach of most households. Government workers, including those in the medical field, have not been paid since 2016. Medical care was subsidized by the Yemeni government up through 2011. Now there are no funds available to help people and they have to pay out of pocket, which most Yemenis cannot afford.
In this environment, access to humanitarian aid is a life and death.
The cynicism and cruelty of blanket aid suspension while NGOs have negotiated to ensure that help gets through
The Trump administration’s assertion of defending humanitarian principles while leaving an entire nation full of starving immunocompromised people at the mercy of a viral epidemic is incredibly cynical if one considers that the Saudi coalition’s air blockade and the UAE naval blockade have prevented food and medical aid from reaching the country or getting off ships to help the people of Yemen. Conflicts in Southern Yemen, where aid has not been suspended have led to the interdiction of supplies for years but USAID flows there unabated.
Individual aid agencies and the UN have been able to negotiate progress with the Houthis who have withdrawn a proposed 2% tax on aid and are for the first time allowing biometric tracking on aid deliveries. Some agencies that halted or curtailed deliveries on their own to due to obstruction have resumed providing aid due to improved access and freedom of movement. Oxfam, which does not receive USAID funding in Yemen, as a result of negotiations with local authorities, has been ale to ensure independence and access in order to continue clean water, sanitation and hygiene programs in order to prevent the coronavirus. Meanwhile, USAID continues to deprive other agencies of funding, claiming that Covid-19 funding would be diverted.
The refusal of USAID to alter its approach in the face of the pandemic while alternate strategies have produced compromise and more access and more humanitarian aid reaching civilians that need it, makes it fairly clear that “humanitarian concerns” are not primary in the minds of the Trump administration. It is much more likely that this is part of the overall Trump administration approach to “diplomacy” that starves civilian populations for geopolitical gains – by David Opprenheimer
https://upriseri.com/2020-09-02-david-oppenheimer/
and on US cutting humanitarian aid also
(* A H P)
Humanitarian Groups Demand Trump Reverse Yemen Aid Freeze
Aid groups operating in Houthi-controlled areas are unable to deliver lifesaving support.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/20/humanitarian-groups-demand-trump-reverse-yemen-aid-freeze/
(** B K P)
What is the UAE doing on the Yemeni island of Socotra?
The Gulf kingdom reportedly leased the island and uses it as one of the nerve centres of its vast spying network.
The oil-rich kingdom of the UAE, which has of late earned the distinction of conducting itself as a rogue state, has seized control of the Yemeni island of Socotra, a key archipelago located near major shipping routes between the Indian Ocean States, East Asia and rest of the continents.
Last week, French-Jewish media organisation Jforum, reported that the UAE and Israel are setting up "spy bases" in Socotra and that the two nations have already deployed "espionage equipment" on the island, which is about 350 kilometres far from the Yemeni mainland.
Tel Aviv’s surveillance centres are already monitoring the actions of Houthi militants in Yemen and Iranian naval movements, as well as examining sea and air traffic in the southern region of the Red Sea. With it gaining access to t
Abu Dhabi has reportedly been investing in the island’s infrastructure and security since 2012 when President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi assumed Yemen's presidency.
In 2015, the first agent of the province of Socotra, Hashim al Saktari, revealed that Abu Dhabi “sent two people" as investors, and then "it became clear recently that they were military personnel and have come for the control of the island.”
The Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen in 2015 paved the way for the UAE to sign a deal with the Hadi government and reportedly leased the island for 99 years.
Since then, the UAE has quietly stepped up its activities on the island, pumping in money to help its people overcome economic turmoil. In October 2016, the 31st plane was filled with two tons of medical and other aid, and it departed from Abu Dhabi to land in Socotra.
The Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Foundation and Emirates Red Crescent built an Abu Dhabi-supported hospital on the island. The UAE also helped to construct a residential community on the island.
In 2017, more than $2 billion was already invested by the UAE into Yemen out of which millions went to the island. Afterwards, the governor of the Socotra Island pledged his support to the Southern Transitional Council (STC) which is backed by Abu Dhabi.
With the STC taking control over Aden in late 2017, STC leader Aidarus al-Zoubaidi held meetings with the UAE to discuss the situation in Yemen and Aden. Then, Abu Dhabi allegedly started deploying military assets to the Island.
At that time, The Independent reported that its writers came ashore from a cement cargo ship from Oman in which they found the UAE had all but annexed this sovereign piece of Yemen, building a military base, setting up communications networks, conducting its own census and inviting Socotra residents to Abu Dhabi by the planeload for free health care.
Like Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi also recognises the importance of controlling the Red Sea trade by having access to the Bab El Mandeb Strait.
Despite the reported leasing of Socotra Island in April 2018, the government of Yemen has condemned the takeover as "an act of aggression".
“For the UAE, controlling Socotra means strengthening its commercial and military projection in the Indian Ocean, thus emphasising its rising inter-regional prestige. For Saudi Arabia, reducing the Emirati influence in Socotra means re-affirming Riyadh’s leading role not only in the military coalition for Yemen but also with regard to the inter-state balance in the Gulf region,” said Eleonora Ardemagni, who is an Associate Research Fellow at ISPI.
https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/what-is-the-uae-doing-on-the-yemeni-island-of-socotra-39385
My remark: From Turkey, a main rival of UAE‘s geopolitical ambitions in Yemen, Libya, Eastern Africa and elsewhere.
and
(** B K P)
UAE, Saudi Arabia accused of allowing Israel onto Yemen's Socotra
The tribal chief of Socotra accuses the UAE and Saudi Arabia of allowing Israel to establish a presence on the Yemeni island.
A Yemeni tribal leader has accused the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia of letting Israel onto its island of Socotra.
The accusation came in a statement by Issa Salem bin Yaqut, the chief of tribes in Socotra, who warned against undermining Yemeni sovereignty on the island and called for expelling Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Bin Yaqut also accused Riyadh and Abu Dhabi of "destroying the charming and rare environmental landmarks on Socotra Island and establishing camps amid terrible international silence."
Spy base
The creation of an Israeli-Emirati intelligence-gathering base on Socotra aims to monitor Iran, China and Pakistan, according to political and strategic experts.
Iran already surrounded
Sayed Mohammad Marandi, a political analyst and professor at Tehran University, said Iran is already surrounded by many US military bases in the region.
“Israel has no capability to attack Iran even if they have a joint military base with UAE in Yemen,” he said.
Eye on Pakistan
Indian analyst Haidar Abbas believes that the spy base will also be used to monitor Pakistan.
“From now onwards, Socotra Island will neither be of Houthi rebels, nor of UAE or Yemen, but its complete suzerainty will belong to Israel, meaning the US,” he said in an article published in countercurrents.org, an Indian news portal.
“This rapidly changing scenario is altering the world situation as never before, as Pakistan, which means China, would now be under the Israeli radars,” he said.
Potential to change regional dynamics in South Asia
Professor Syed Qandil Abbas of Azam University in Islamabad opines that the deal will have a direct impact on the Middle East, but it can indirectly influence South Asia and other regions as well.
“If India-UAE-Israel triangle emerges then it will change the regional dynamics of South Asia as well,” he said.
and
(* B K P)
UAE, Saudi Arabia let Israel send intelligence agents into Yemen: reports
According to a seperate report, the alleged move aims at establishing an Israeli-Emirati intelligence-gathering base on the island to "monitor Iran, China and Pakistan".
"This Israeli-Emirati spy base aims at monitoring the Iranian activities in the Gulf of Aden and curbing Tehran's relationship with Houthi rebels," Ibrahim Fraihat, a professor of international conflict resolution at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, was quoted by Anadolu Agency as saying.
"The creation of this base is an additional indicator that the Emirati-Israeli deal was meant for forging a solid alliance between the two countries, not just normalising relations," Fraihat said.
and
(* A K P)
Emirati occupation force names new “governor” of Socotra
Appointment of STC leader to position strengthens Emirati hold over Yemeni islands
Saudi-Emirati occupation forces have on Tuesday appointed a “new governor” for the Island of Socotra, local sources said.
The sources confirmed that acommander by the name of Abdul Rahman al-Hajji has handed over administration of Socotra province to a leader of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) named Saleh Ali
The sources explained that the selection of Saleh Ali as governor of the island comes just two months after the expulsion of governor Ramzi Mahrous, who was affiliated with the Islah Party.
On Monday, violent clashes broke out between STC militias and Saudi occupation forces near Socotra airport, which led to the closing of the external gate.
According to observers, the clashes are being directed by the UAE in order to remove Saudi forces, as part of the UAE’s efforts to control on the island.
https://uprising.today/emirati-occupation-force-names-new-governor-of-socotra/
and
(* A P)
Yemen is losing Socotra, local sheikh warns
The sheikh of the sheikhs of Yemen's Socotra archipelago, Eisa Yaqut, on Tuesday warned of losing Socotra and national sovereignty on it.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have brought Israel to Socotra within a process to separate it from Yemen, he told Aljazeera TV.
The two countries have destroyed its environment and built military camps on it, he said, adding, "Socotra is breathing its last breath and saying goodbye to Yemen".
They are suffocating the people with tough economic measures, destroying social fabric and targeting young persons with drugs, he said, accusing the two countries of forcing their foes to use drugs in return for releasing them from jails and abandoning resistance actions.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been leading a military coalition fighting in Yemen since March 2015.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-19572.html
and
(A P)
'UAE, Saudi Arabia allowed Israel onto Yemen's Socotra'
Tribal chief of Socotra accuses UAE, Saudi Arabia of allowing Israel to establish presence on Yemeni island
A Yemeni tribal leader on Tuesday accused the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia of letting Israel onto the Yemeni island of Socotra.
The accusation came in a statement by Issa Salem bin Yaqut, the chief of tribes in Socotra, who warned against undermining Yemeni sovereignty on Socotra and called for expelling Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Bin Yaqut also accused Riyadh and Abu Dhabi of "destroying the charming and rare environmental landmarks on Socotra Island and establishing camps amid a terrible international silence."
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/uae-saudi-arabia-allowed-israel-onto-yemens-socotra/1960288
and
(A P)
Israeli officials arrive on UAE-occupied Yemeni island
Emirati occupation force welcomes Zionists on Socotra island
A leading figure in the Islah Party, an ally of Saudi Arabia in the invasion of Yemen, has revealed that a number of UAE and Israeli intelligence officers have arrived on the island of Socotra in order to make arrangements for the establishment of military bases in important and sensitive locations in the archipelago, according to Yemen Press Agency.
The visit of the UAE-Israeli delegation specifically targeted the Jamjumah center in the Momi area, the east of the island, as well as the Qattnan center in the west, which is located in the highest mountain range overlooking the international maritime route passing by the island.
https://uprising.today/israeli-officials-arrive-on-uae-occupied-yemeni-island/
(** B K pS)
Child Sniping
“Targeting civilians” in general and “children” in particular was and still is the favorite pastime of Houthis militia snipers in Taiz governorate to an extent that makes you feel as if they were on a human hunting expedition that began in mid-March 2015 and did not end until the moment of writing this report.
With every passing day of the brutal war waged by the Houthis militia on the Taiz governorate and its unjust siege imposed on its peaceful inhabitants, the number of child victims of snipers is increasing, whether inside Taiz or in the rural areas to which the fire of that war spread and devoured everything beautiful there, and the number of casualties of this vulnerable category reached (360) child killed or wounded by snipers’ bullets.
The “snipers unit” used by the Houthis militia during the period September 2015 to December 2017 (in the alliance), and then the Houthis militia alone, until August 2020, is the fourth most deadly weapon in the lives of civilians, including women and children, followed by missiles, artillery, and land mines of all kinds.
In this report, the Yemeni Coalition for Monitoring Human Rights Violations reviews part of a bloody scene that is being repeated continuously of targeting the innocent children in Taiz, trapped and besieged for nearly (6) years, amid suspicious international silence.
To shed more light on the systematic and repeated targeting of Taiz children by Houthis militia snipers from the beginning of the war until the moment of writing the report, Rasd Coalition reviewed its database and human rights reports that include integrated and documented statistics of the total victims of sniping in (16) districts of Taiz governorate. Rasd Coalition also referred to human rights reports issued earlier to evoke some incidents of sniping in which children were targeted in the governorate of Taiz and to cite them as evidence and supporting facts of the incident of targeting the female child Ruwaida, to develop this qualitative human rights report.
In the context of updating the violations related to sniping incidents, the Yemeni Coalition for Monitoring Human Rights Violations team in Taiz governorate received a report about the targeting the child, Ruwaida Saleh bin Saleh Muhammad, by a Houthi sniper stationed in Tabat Abu al-Dahab, northeast of Taiz, and visited Al-Safwa Hospital, where the victim was transferred, and interviewed her who accompanying her.
The Yemeni Coalition for Monitoring Human Rights Violations in Taiz Governorate documented the killing and wounding of (366) children aged (1-17 years) by snipers affiliated with Houthis militia during the period from March 2015 until August 2020.
According to the figures and statistics documented by the “Rasd Coalition “ team, snipers from the Houthis militia claimed the lives of (130) children, (88) males and (42) females, and wounded (236) others (170) males and (66) females, in (16) districts.
Al-Kahira district, in the middle of Taiz city, ranks first in terms of the number of children who were killed by snipers from the Houthis militia, with (22) dead and (53) wounded children, followed by Al-Mudhaffar district, west of the city, with (29) dead and ( 45) were wounded, then the “Salah” district, east of the city, with (26) dead and (43) wounded, all of them children under the age of 18 years.
Rasd Coalition team in Taiz governorate found out, through their field work, that the Houthis militia had deployed a large number of its snipers in several buildings and facilities inside residential neighborhoods and on the hills surrounding Taiz and some villages and rural.
The team has also proven, with conclusive evidence, that the Houthis snipers are occupying the sites that overlook the city in all its neighborhoods, roads and main streets, so that they can monitor the widest geographical area in a clear intentional and systematic targeting of civilians within those areas and to be able to snipe as many civilians as possible, especially women, children and the elderly.
http://www.ycmhrv.co/Home/MonthlyReport/EnI4hjdH/Childrens-Sniping
(** B K P)
Saudi Arabia probes corruption, mismanagement in Yemen war
“It was found that 70% of the Yemeni army was fake and that the efforts of the Arab coalition and its funds are simply wasted,” said Saudi political researcher Ali Arishi.
The Saudi leadership has just expanded its war on corruption and its beneficiaries to the file of the war in Yemen, as reflected in the decisions announced by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz on Monday evening, concerning the dismissal of high-level officials.
The royal decree stipulated that the Saudi Supervisory and Anti-Corruption Commission will investigate anyone having top do with the charges brought against the top officials mentioned in the investigation, take the necessary legal measures against them, and later report its conclusions. This in turn means that the circle of the investigation has been widened to include all those likely to have been involved in acts of corruption in the Yemen war file, among them some Yemeni officials who have a direct connection to the file and through whom the coalition’s support is conveyed.
The measures taken are directly related to the unsatisfactory results of the war in Yemen during the past few years, which included the path of military intervention being stalled, the fall of liberated Yemeni governorates and military areas, and the Houthi militias’ continued enhancement of their offensive capabilities through the acquisition of ballistic missiles and drones, all of which amounted to a situation that has come to harm the image of Saudi Arabia and its regional weight.
In addition to pointing fingers at some political agendas that caused the military file of the war in Yemen to falter, experts believe that mismanagement of the file and widespread financial corruption, especially on the Yemeni side, are at the top of the list of factors that have cast a shadow over the course of the Yemeni war, now in its sixth year.
Three Yemeni political sources revealed to The Arab Weekly that Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi was getting ready to issue similar executive decisions, including the dismissal of a number of Yemeni government officials responsible for managing the military file.
The sources indicated that these decisions will affect Yemeni Vice President Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, the first person responsible for managing the military file since the outbreak of the war in March 2015. Al-Ahmar is usually accused of being directly responsible for the failure in managing the file and the fall of governorates and military regions in the hands of the Houthi militia. One or two other vice presidents will most likely will be appointed by consensus in his stead.
The sources also mentioned that the current Minister of Defence, Muhammad Ali Al-Maqdishi, is going to be dismissed as well, to be replaced by Chief of General Staff Saghir bin Aziz.
They said that the expected decisions in the Yemeni government camp came in the context of comprehensive reviews conducted by the Arab coalition on the reasons for the faltering military path in recent years, and which concluded that it was necessary to make drastic and comprehensive changes in the military leadership of the Arab coalition and the government camp alike.
The same sources confirmed that the coming period will witness a qualitative shift in the way the military file is managed, whether by the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia or within the new Yemeni government that will be formed according to the Riyadh agreement signed between the government and the Southern Transitional Council.
The implementation of the Riyadh Agreement is expected to be accompanied by widespread changes in the the military establishment’s structure that will lead to drastically reducing the Muslim Brotherhood’s control over this file, in light of signs indicating the complicity of Yemeni military leaders with the Qatari project in Yemen. This project seeks to hand over the northern governorates to the Houthis and transfer the conflict to the liberated areas in the south.
In an indication of the nature of the new changes, the Arab coalition has, in recent days, carried out military actions described as strategic, such as securing the border crossing point with the Sultanate of Oman and equipping it with an X–ray scanner for shipping trucks, in addition to securing the port of Midi on the Red Sea and a number of small Yemeni islands opposite the port, and this following intelligence reports received by the coalition denouncing a plan by some elements in the Fifth Military Zone, which is dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, to hand over these strategic areas to the Houthi militia, in response to any expected decisions aimed at dismissing military officers and officials affiliated with the group.
The Arab Coalition to Support Yemeni Legitimacy had previously tasked General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar with establishing a Yemeni army to lead operations on the ground. During the past six years, everyone pinned their hopes on this army to restore the Yemeni governorates occupied by the militias or to establish security in the liberated provinces; but none of that has happened.
Saudi political researcher Ali Arishi said that despite the generous financial support and modern weaponry provided by the coalition, “it was found that 70% of the Yemeni army was fake and that the efforts of the Arab coalition and its funds are simply wasted.”
Arishi added in a statement to The Arab Weekly that “the widespread corruption in the army and the obvious partisan loyalty among its leadership were indeed reflected in the reality of the battle on the ground, especially as this army’s hostility turned towards the UAE, the Kingdom’s strategic ally in Yemen, and its rifles became aimed at the south.”
He pointed out that the dismissal of the commander of the joint forces, Prince Fahd bin Turki, had thrown a large stone in the stagnant waters of the reality of complacent corruption in the joint forces and came within the context of correcting the mistakes that undoubtedly were the main reason for delaying military victory, and to announce a new stage that suggests a complete overhaul of the Arab coalition’s military strategy and methods of managing the war in Yemen.
“This change at the top of the hierarchy of the joint forces opens the door to a wide range of changes in the leadership of the Yemeni government army which is mired in corruption and favouritism, and replacing them with qualified military leaders. The changes are also expected to touch a number of officials responsible for relief work in Yemen,” he added.
The developments at the military level come with parallel developments at the political level The Arab Weekly sources revealed the imminence of expected shifts in the map of alliances and influence in the next few days, consistent with the state of compatibility of the political and military visionsand the method of managing the file of the conflict with the Houthis that exists between the Southern Transitional Council and the Arab Alliance.
This orientation may be reflected in the way the coalition leadership will be dealing with the excesses of some Yemeni components that have been working during the previous period from within the legitimate Yemini institutions to confuse the war efforts and plans and ignite internal struggle inside the camp opposing the Iranian and Qatari project in Yemen.
https://thearabweekly.com/saudi-arabia-probes-corruption-mismanagement-yemen-war
My comment: An interesting article by a pro-Saudi coalition news site, which seems to favor the southern separatists and their UAE masters. Thus, at the end of this article, the Qatar / Islah conspiracy theory is warmed up again. – More on these changes in Saudi Arabia and Yemen cp6 and cp8.
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Coronavirus und Seuchen / Most important: Coronavirus and epidemics
(A H)
3 new cases of coronavirus reported, 1,979 in total
http://en.adenpress.news/news/25986
(* B H)
Plagues
In the southern city of Aden a medical foreign aid group has withdrawn after it assessed the covid19 crises was under control and local medical organizations could handle it. Covid19 turned out to be much less of a problem than the cholera epidemic in Yemen, which has been going on since 2016. So far over a million people have been infected and over 5,000 of those infected died, about half of them children. Naturally Yemenis are more concerned with cholera than with the covid19 pandemic. The rebels are not alarmed at the covid19 threat, which is understandable given the number of diseases still active in rural, and urban, Yemen.
There were no verified covid19 cases in Yemen until mid-April and most were subsequently either in Aden or rebels-held Sanaa. There is still a belief among many Moslems that Allah will protect the faithful
https://www.strategypage.com/qnd/yemen/articles/20200902.aspx
(A H)
14 new cases of coronavirus reported, 1,976 in total
http://en.adenpress.news/news/25979
(* B H)
DEALING WITH COVID-19 IN YEMEN
Action Against Hunger’s Deputy Program Manager in Yemen, Dr. Samar Kanzel, explains the impact the coronavirus pandemic will have on healthcare systems and food security in the war-torn country.
COVID-19 affects all aspects of life in Yemen. Yemenis are already suffering from high rates of malnutrition, and respiratory infections, malaria, dengue fever, and cholera outbreaks are common.
“We have a weakened immune system,” explains Dr. Samar. “The COVID-19 outbreak in the country layers a new emergency on top of an emergency; it puts us at higher risk of illness and lowers the body’s ability to fight diseases.”
People infected with severe cases of COVID-19 face challenges in accessing treatment due to the country’s lack of hospital beds. Those with milder cases can’t afford at-home treatments.
“Many people are not getting treatment simply because they don’t have the financial means, not because they are not familiar with the process or treatment protocol,” says Dr. Samar.
Financial barriers and lack of access to healthcare make an already critical situation worse.
The pandemic is elevating concerns around a worsening food crisis in Yemen. With many people losing their jobs, families are struggling to provide food, medicine, and other necessities without income.
“Daily-wage workers suddenly became jobless,” notes Dr. Samar. “They are struggling to make ends meet.”
Cost of living in Yemen has significantly increased as a result of the ongoing conflic
In Yemen, it’s believed many people became infected and died from the virus before any official announcement from the Ministry of Health.
“We could not expect citizens to be aware or even believe that coronavirus was real,” says Dr. Samar. “Even though doctors issued warnings, people just ignored them until the Ministry officially reported the first COVID-19 victim.”
Despite restrictions of movement in northern and southern Yemen, Action Against Hunger teams continue to provide lifesaving aid and to treat malnourished children.
https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/story/dealing-covid-19-yemen
(A H)
Record 8 new infections cases with Corona virus
https://en.smanews.org/record-8-new-infections-cases-with-corona-virus
(A H)
5 new cases of coronavirus reported, 1,958 in total
http://en.adenpress.news/news/24966
(B H P)
@Dr_E_Kendall on @lawfarepodcast re #Yemen: "we've been bombed, flooded, starved, terrorized, assailed by cholera for years, finally now you're worried that we're not wearing masks...it seems the world is a bit crazy" Very important point on expectations for #COVID Ceasefires
https://twitter.com/TylerThompsonUS/status/1300518003612712961
cp2 Allgemein / General
(* A K P)
Interactive Map of Yemen War
(* A K)
HOUTHIS’ ADVANCE CONTINUES: STRATEGIC TERRITORIES CAPTURED IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL YEMEN (maps)
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-september-1-2020-map-update/
(* B P)
Where are the women peacemakers?
Who should be but isn’t at the peace talks table for the many wars afflicting the daily lives of millions? Women. They do the work on the ground but are cut out of negotiations for peace.
The powerful are directly or indirectly enabling and benefiting from atrocities. In Yemen, the Security Council gave a green light in 2015 to the Saudi-led war, supported by the US, UK and France. Targeting of civilian sites and its devastating humanitarian impact were evident from the start. In October 2018, US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Joseph Dunford said, ‘We’re working with the Saudis to reduce casualties.’ The facts are different.
This raises serious questions about multilateralism and diplomacy: who is taking on the responsibility to protect populations in war zones? If warring parties perpetrate violence against civilians, who represents the interests of local populations if and when there are peace talks?
https://mondediplo.com/2020/08/04peacemakers
(* B P)
Yemen crisis deepens
As forces loyal to Yemen’s legitimate government and Southern Transitional Council continue to battle it out and Houthis advance on the south of the country, the misery of the Yemeni people is deepening
Observers anticipated that the Arab Coalition that has been intervening in Yemen and is largely made up of forces from Saudi Arabia and the UAE would be divided, with Abu Dhabi supporting the Transitional Council and Riyadh backing the legitimate government.
However, the coalition has not split ranks, and by supporting the Transitional Council, the UAE has kept the Al-Islah Party, the political front of the Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen, away from decision-making positions in the country’s legitimate government.
“Secession is becoming harder for the Transitional Council as Abu Dhabi doesn’t want to see an independent South Yemen,” commented Naguib Seddik, a Yemeni journalist based in Aden.
Meanwhile, the power of Hadi’s government, mainly comprised of southern Yemenis to whom Hadi belongs and the Al-Islah Party is waning. Conflict between the elements supporting Hadi has been weakening his government, evident in the battles at Marib won by rebel Houthi forces.
Supporters of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh are calling for the “uniting of the republican front” against “Houthi sectarianism.” However, “Saleh’s bloc and his General People’s Congress Party are divided between those that support the Houthis, those who want to unite and a minority favouring the legitimate government,” Seddik said.
The legitimate government has been engaged in battles against forces of the Transitional Council since May, making it difficult for the two parties to resume negotiations, however.
Many observers expect the continuation of the conflict in which Al-Islah forces have advanced from Marib and Jawf in the north towards Aden to oust the Transitional Council. Whatever its final outcome, the conflict will result in the legitimate government losing a crucial part of its forces.
“If the Transitional Council wins, Al-Islah will collapse, and Hadi will not have authority on the ground. If the result is the other way around, the southerners will oppose Al-Islah, which will have to rule by force,” Seddik said.
However, Al-Islah is not expected to emerge victorious.
Unifying the ranks of what remains of former president Saleh’s regime may be useful in confronting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. But no matter how much support it receives, the Southern Transitional Council will not be able to defeat the majority Zaidi Muslim population in the north, who lean towards the Houthis, if Hadi’s government loses further ground.
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Eight international and local groups urge all parties to the conflict in Yemen to prioritize the release of arbitrarily detained and forcibly disappeared civilians
As the war in Yemen approaches its seventh year, many families continue to suffer as the fate of their loved ones remains unknown in both official and unofficial detention centers run by different parties to the conflict across Yemen.
We stand in solidarity with families of hundreds of civilians who either have been arbitrarily detained, abducted or forcibly disappeared for no reason, or particularly for their political views, profession, activism, or religious affiliation, and urge all parties to the conflict to respond to their pleas and reveal the fate and whereabouts of the forcibly disappeared, and urgently release all those arbitrarily detained.
The parties to the conflict continue to this day to prioritize the exchange of military detainees over civilian detainees following the Stockholm talks in 2018. We therefore demand that the immediate release of arbitrarily detained civilian detainees, including journalists and activists, is prioritized by all parties to the conflict and seriously considered as an important issue that touches the lives of thousands of Yemeni families who are left to their own devices in fighting for truth and justice for their loved ones. The families of four journalists who were sentenced to death in April by a court in Sanaa on charges related to their journalistic work is but one example.
The parties to the conflict, including Saudi/UAE-led coalition and Ansar Allah (the Houthis), have committed unlawful attacks against detention centers, killing and injuring a number of detainees.
Torture and ill-treatment in both official and unofficial detention centres need to be stopped and prevented. The parties to the conflict should respect international humanitarian law, perpetrators should be held accountable and appropriate redress should be provided to victims.
As part of their basic rights, detainees should be given access to legal assistance and legal proceedings that adhere to international fair trial standards. Prison conditions, including access to medical care, sanitation and hygiene must be improved for all those deprived of their liberty. Given the risk of an outbreak of COVID-19 in over-crowded prisons, where access to healthcare is almost non-existent, current conditions pose a threat to the lives of all prisoners and prison officials.
Torture and ill-treatment in both official and unofficial detention centres need to be stopped and prevented. The parties to the conflict should respect international humanitarian law, perpetrators should be held accountable and appropriate redress should be provided to victims.
https://mwatana.org/en/ngos-urge-parties-release/ = https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/09/02/yemen-free-disappeared-civilians
(A P)
Kroc IPJ Announces 2020-2021 Women PeaceMakers Focused on Improving Partnerships and Addressing Security to End Cycles of Violence
Muna Luqman (Yemen)
Muna is an activist for women, peace, and security issues in Yemen and globally. With 15 years of peacebuilding experience, she is diligent in advocating for sustainable peace processes with women at the table. In her efforts to advocate for ending the war in Yemen, Muna has briefed the U.N. Security Council and members of US Congress. Additionally, as the co-founder of Women Solidarity Network, the largest women’s network in Yemen, she has participated in high level meetings at the U.N. Human Rights Council, U.N. Women, and U.N. Environment Programme, among others, to advocate for women’s leadership and participation in the peace process in Yemen. She is a member of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL). Muna was also the recipient of The Eighth International Young Women’s Peace Award
https://www.sandiego.edu/news/peace/detail.php?_focus=77846
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Human Rights Watch Submission to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on Yemen
We write in advance of the 67th pre-session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and its review of the Republic of Yemen’s compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Protection of Education and Equal Access to Education During Armed Conflict (Article 13)
The armed conflict in Yemen has had a grave impact on the accessibility of education for girls. UNICEF stated that before the Covid-19 pandemic, 2 million children in Yemen were out of school. Now schools have been closed around the country to protect against the spread of Covid-19, an additional 5.8 million children are out of school. Moreover, 55 schools are now being used as centers to isolate potential Covid-19 patients.[1]
An estimated one in eight schools are unfit for use because of the conflict – either destroyed, used for military purposes, or taken over as a shelter for displaced people.[4] Many public servants, including teachers, have reportedly gone over two years without regular salary payments, disrupting the school programs and schedules for millions of children.[5] The lack of a steady source of income has made it difficult for families to afford sending their children to school, as well as provide the transportation, supplies, and other materials their children need to receive a full education.
Human Rights Watch has documented numerous incidents of parties to the conflict using schools for military purposes, as well as attacks on schoolchildren and education infrastructure, including attacks on or near school buildings and school buses.
Child Marriage (Article 10)
Current trends suggest that child marriage is on the rise in Yemen. According to the UN Population Fund, the average age for girls to get married is about 15 years old.[12] More precise estimates are difficult to ascertain in this context.
Protection of the Right to Work and a Safe Working Environment During Armed Conflict (Article 7)
Human Rights Watch has documented more than 90 apparently unlawful Saudi-led coalition airstrikes that have impeded many Yemenis’ ability to earn their living by destroying their place of work or source of income, killing the primary earners of families, and deterring others from continuing at their place of work.[16] According to the Yemen Data Project, the Saudi-led coalition has conducted more than 20,100 airstrikes on Yemen since the war began, an average of 12 attacks a day. The coalition has bombed hospitals, schools, markets, mosques, farms, bridges, civilian factories, and detention centers. All are significant places of employment necessary for civilian life.
Saudi-led coalition naval forces have carried out at least five deadly attacks on Yemeni fishing boats since 2018 that killed 47 Yemeni fishermen, including seven children, which appeared to be deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian objects in violation of the laws of war.[17] In three attacks, coalition forces did not attempt to rescue survivors adrift at sea, and many drowned.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/08/31/human-rights-watch-submission-committee-economic-social-and-cultural-rights-yemen = https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/media_2020/08/HRW%20Yemen%20ICESCR%20Sept%202020%20Final.pdf
(* B H K P)
Audio: 17. Yemen’s Humanitarian Crisis with Yemen Aid’s CEO Summer Nasser
The civil/proxy war that’s been occurring for years in Yemen has prevented shipments of food and other basic resources from being accessible and affordable to Yemeni citizens. This has contributed to Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, which, according to UNICEF, is the largest in the world, with more than 24 million people, which is around 80% of the population, in need of humanitarian assistance, including more than 12 million children. Over 2 million Yemeni children are malnourished and a Yemeni child dies a preventable death every 10 minutes. And now, the coronavirus outbreak has really compounded the entire situation—health services, already strained, are even more so, millions of children are now unable to access education, and tens of thousands more children could develop life-threatening acute malnutrition over the next few months. Summer Nasser, the CEO of the humanitarian INGO Yemen Aid and a speaker and analyst on Yemeni affairs, joins me on the podcast to spread awareness about Yemen’s situation. Summer talks about her background as a Yemeni American, the factors that have contributed to the humanitarian crisis, the work that Yemen Aid does, how COVID-19 has impacted Yemen, the flaws of the international community and organizations like the UN, and what everyday people can do to support Yemenis who are going through and have been impacted by the humanitarian crisis
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3lnhfcMwfKK9tv3OaPmDYT
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Abductees Mothers Association rally statement on International Day for the Disappeared
Five years have passed by while 236 civilians are being forcibly disappeared, 90 of whom have been disappeared since 2015. Those civilians were abducted from their homes, workplaces, and streets, and have been held at prions and detention centres for no lawful justification. Their fate and medical conditions are still unknown until this day.
During forced disappearance periods, victims' right of contacting their families or anyone outside prison is not the violated right. They are brutally tortured and inhumanely mistreated. 81 forcibly disappeared individuals have died as a result of such cruel torture and their families could only see them as dead bodies. Victims have been repeatedly detained at targeted buildings and areas, placing their lives at great risk as dozens of forcibly disappeared abductees have been killed during bombings, where families were either devastated to see their relatives' names on the dead lists, or got more worried and scared for the disappeared ones.
While many abductees and detainees, held at official prisons, have been infected with COVID-19, the medical conditions of the forcibly disappeared persons are still unknown. Rehab, a daughter of a forcibly disappeared individual, said "I am really scared. My mother, siblings, grandfather, and the whole family is worried that my father might be infected with Corona Virus. He is sick and has been suffering from diabetes and hypertension. Dad, are you okay? Do you take your medications? Are they properly taking care of you?"
The psychological effects of forced disappearance linger as many victims tend to isolate themselves
http://ama-ye.org/?no=1418&ln=En
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Seawater starts leaking into FSO Safer Oil Tanker
The condition of the floating oil tanker, FSO, that is moored in the Red Sea keeps worsening as seawater started to seep into the FSO, which is loaded with more than 1.1 million barrels of crude oil, sources familiar with the matter said.
The photos show seawater leaking into the tanker, a sign of a potential sinking of the entire vessel, and releasing all the oil into the sea.
According to the sources, there are modest attempts to contain the leaking by the engineering team of the tanker; however, the engineers lack proper kits to maintain the tanker (photo)
https://republicanyemen.net/archives/25288
and also https://debriefer.net/en/news-19580.html
Photos: https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1300742540837220352 = https://twitter.com/Alsakaniali/status/1300842441348653058
and
(A P)
FSO Safer tanker should "be" offloaded immediately, urges Yemeni official
A senior official in Yemen's Safer exploration and production operations company on Thursday said the crude oil onboard the decaying FSO Safer tanker should be offloaded immediately.
The talk about assessment of the condition of the tanker or repairing it is no longer the right option, the official told the Alsharq Alawsat Newspaper, on condition of anonymity.
"An environmental catastrophe is looming in Yemen and the Gulf region. We are racing against the time and those concerned are not responding to this serious issue responsibly," the official added.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-19605.html
and also https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-41746
and
(A P)
Petition: Save the Red Sea from a Major Oil Spill #FSOSAFER
Yemeni Youth Statement on the FSO SAFER Oil Tanker
We, the undersigned Yemeni youth, call all the concerned parties at the national, regional and international levels to urgently act on the issue of the abandoned FSO SAFER oil tanker moored off the coast of Yemen in order to avoid a potential massive catastrophe.
1) We call on Ansarallah authorities (Houthis) to approve “without any conditions” the mission of the United Nations experts to secure the deteriorating tanker and make urgent repairs. Their continuous refusal to grant this permission would mean tremendous environmental, human and economic damages.
2) We call on the international community, the Member States of the Security Council, the regional and local authorities as well as the environmental organizations around the world to play their role in protecting and securing the tanker and preventing the tragedy.
https://www.change.org/p/ansarallah-authorities-save-the-red-sea-from-a-major-oil-spill-fsosafer
My comment: It stays dubious who really started this petition. There are no “youth” to be seen.
cp2a Saudische Blockade / Saudi blockade
(A K P)
YPC confirms depletion of its stockpiles of oil derivatives at Hodeidah facilities
Yemen's Petroleum Company (YPC) on Tuesday confirmed that its stockpile of oil derivatives in Hodeidah facilities has completely run out and that the service sectors have begun to enter the circle of danger as a result of the continued detention of fuel ships.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3107534.htm
(A K P)
Sanaa International Airport warns of near-depletion of fuel reserves, interrupts of planes' services
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3107515.htm
and
(A K P)
Sana’a International Airport Unable to Receive United Nations Aid
Sana'a International Airport's administration warned of its inability to provide air navigation services to receive aircraft of United Nations and humanitarian and relief organizations in the coming days due to the near-depletion of its stockpile of oil derivatives.
The airport's administration, in a statement today, Monday, said that in light of the arbitrary measures by the aggressive countries that prevent the oil derivatives' ships' entry, the airport's stock of diesel and petroleum is about to run out, and that the available quantities will only cover operating needs for a few days.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=14716
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Houthis refuse entry of oil derivatives to Hudaydah
Yemen’s Houthis yesterday rejected government attempts to allow the entry of oil derivatives to the port of Hudaydah, the Shebab news website reported.
In a statement, the Houthis said that all oil ships “must” enter the port without obstacles or preconditions.
On Sunday, the [Hadi gov.] Foreign Ministry announced an initiative to allow oil ships to enter the port on condition that their revenues are deposited in a new bank account which is not controlled by the Houthis.
The initiative stipulated that the UN controls the revenues and guarantees their distribution based on mechanisms agreed by the government and the Houthis.
According to the Foreign Ministry, all revenues of oil and the revenues withdrawn by the Houthis from the central bank are to be used to pay the salaries of Yemeni employees across the country based on 2014 records.
The Yemeni government accused the Houthis of breaching a previous agreement reached with the UN and withdrawing 40 billion riyals ($60 million) from the oil revenues deposited in the branch of the central bank in Hudaydah.
On Sunday, the UN expressed it worries over “the massive shortage” of fuel from which several areas controlled by the Houthis are suffering.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200901-houthis-refuse-entry-of-oil-derivatives-to-hudaydah/
My comment: The headline obviously is misleading. They will not refuse that, but it seems they do not accept any limits to their free disposal of the revenues, even if the Stockholm agreement had fixed clear rules.
(A P)
[Sanaa gov.] Foreign Ministry stresses need for ships to enter Hodeidah port without any conditions
Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday confirmed that the countries of aggression coalition and their mercenaries are continuing to detain ships and prevent their entry to the port of Hodeidah amid at exacerbating the great suffering of the Yemeni people.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3107431.htm
(A P)
[Hadi] Govt committed to facilitate oil imports despite Houthi violations
The Yemeni Government said it was committed to facilitate the import of oil products through the Houthi rebels-controlled Seaport of Hodeidah despite the rebel militia’s violations of an import mechanism previously agreed upon with the office of the UN Special Envoy to Yemen.
The Houthi militia had confiscated oil revenues worth YR 40 billion from a Hodeidah Central Bank account meant to pay the salaries of civil servicemen all over Yemen.
and also https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-41676
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UN-Yemen envoy under Houthi violent attack
The Houthi group on Sunday launched critical campaign against the UN special envoy for Yemen, blaming Martin Griffiths for the oil shortage seen by northern Houthi-held areas.
In statements carried by Houthi media, political parties supporting the group strongly criticized the UN envoy and called for his replacement, hours after a statement issued by his office.
In his statement, Griffiths expressed deep concerns at shortage in fuel experienced by areas under the group's control, calling on warring parties to urgently work with his office to reach a solution under which Yemenis can have access to oil derivatives and associated revenues be used in paying the salaries of civil servants.
But the political parties called also for an end to dealing with Griffiths, since the envoy "favors the [Saudi-led] coalition, justifies and covers its crimes, and links blockade on the Yemeni people to other files," according to the Sana'a-based Saba.
"Griffiths' neglect of the Stockholm Agreement's provisions (about the oil tankers entry) and his overlooking the coalition states' obdurately detaining these ships and denying them access indicates that the envoy is not neutral and fully biased with these states.
"This comes as part of conspiratorial scenario led by Britain in order to blackmail the nationalist party and curb its military options thru abusing the humanitarian, economic file," the news agency added.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-19545.html
My comment: I really do not understand this. The envoy’s newest statement seemed to really adress the problem of the Saudi coalition blockade of oil supply. And this Houthi attack mixes other topics to this one, which do not have anything to do with this problem.
and
(* A P)
Houthis reject initiative to allow fuel to enter Hodeidah seaport
The Houthi salvation government has rejected an initiative by Yemen's internationally recognised government to allow fuel to enter Hodeidah seaport which is controlled by the Houthi Group.
Foreign ministry on Monday said the UN should have a clear position on the crime of holding fuel ships in the Red Sea by of Saudi-led coalition and call for respecting the Stockholm Agreement.
UN lax stances have encouraged Hadi's government to continue to underestimate the agreement to the extent it is now putting forward new proposals that legitimise and justify its violations of the agreement and irresponsible actions, the ministry said in a statement.
Hadi's government is ignoring the suffering of the Yemeni people and selling the country cheaply, it said.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-19544.html
and
(A P)
[Sanaa gov.] Yemeni Ministry of Health expresses disappointment at UN Envoy’s empty rhetoric
Statement by Martin Griffiths ignores Saudi role in destruction of Yemeni healthcare sector
The Yemeni Ministry of Public Health and Population has condemned the statement of the UN Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, in which he ignored the disastrous effects of the coalition’s continued detention of fuel vessels on the health situation in Yemen, describing it as “a clear and flagrant disregard.”
“After about 4 months of preventing fuel vessels from reaching the port of Hodeidah by the US-Saudi aggression, affecting the vital and service facilities, the UN Envoy surprised us with his statement,” spokesman for the Ministry of Health, Dr. Yousef Al-Hadhiri said on Tuesday.
and also
(A P)
JMP Accuses Griffiths of Bias in Favor of Coalition of Aggression and Mercenaries
The [Sanaa gov.-linked] Joint Meeting Parties in Yemen denounced the statement issued by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, regarding his concern, which he described as major fuel shortages that the Yemeni people suffer from, and his fallacies in this regard.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=14708
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
(* B H)
WFP Yemen Situation Report #07, July 2020
WFP targeted 5.9 million Yemeni people with general food assistance under the July distributions.
The milling of the remaining WFP wheat at the Red Sea Mills in Al Hodeidah governorate was completed in July.
1,732 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in July.
WFP requires USD 703 million to continue operations unimpeded over the next six months (September 2020 – February 2021).
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/wfp-yemen-situation-report-07-july-2020
(* B H)
Yemeni Organizations Aiding the Crisis in Yemen
There are many NGOs such as UNICEF and Oxfam that provide service in Yemen. There are also many effective organizations that are wholly dedicated to the cause. Here is a list of Yemeni organizations aiding the crisis in Yemen.
MonaRelief: Fatik Abudullah Al-Rodaini created this organization in Yemen to provide humanitarian relief and development through organizing volunteer work. The organization raises funds to deliver resources to families impacted by the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. As an organization located in Yemen, MonaRelief is able to provide immediate, short-term relief to families in the form of food baskets, hygiene kits, blankets and much more.
Yemen Hope and Relief: Ahmad Algohbary founded this organization in Yemen to help those suffering in his country after he lost many loved ones due to the war, including his best friend. Families in Yemen request aid from Algohbary. He uses his collected donations to house families while nutrition centers treat their children in major Yemeni cities.
Yemen Aid:Yemeni-Americans founded Yemen Aid. It is an organization that is 100% committed to providing humanitarian aid to Yemenis “regardless of race, political affiliation, ancestry or religion.” Its current projects help those in need by providing food baskets, medical supplies, water aid and shelter in the form of IDP camps.
Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation: Yemeni Aisha Jumaan is the president of this organization in the U.S. Its goal is to increase awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen to policymakers in America. It supports relief and reconstruction efforts and facilitates campaigns to bring peace to Yemen. It also provides aid to needy families in urban areas, rural areas and refugee camps through their network of volunteers.
Mwatana Organization for Human Rights:Founder Radhya al-Mutawakel created this organization to advocate for Yemeni human rights by documenting violations. It provided legal support to victims and lobbies and raises awareness of the issue. Located in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, the organization holds accountable those who violate human rights and creates policies to prevent these violations.
These Yemeni organizations aiding the crisis in Yemen are either based in Yemen or run by Yemenis. They show the incredible perseverance of the Yemeni people and their efforts to end the war in their country.
https://www.borgenmagazine.com/yemeni-organizations-aiding-the-crisis-in-yemen/
(* B H)
VON STILLEN HELD*INNEN UND GROSSEN VORBILDERN
Seit sechs Monaten unterstützt Annette Werner die Menschen im Jemen. Schon jetzt weiß sie: Etwas wird bleiben.
Seit 6 Monaten bin ich nun schon im Jemen und habe jetzt noch einmal das Projekt gewechselt. Für die letzten Wochen des Einsatzes bin ich wieder in Khamer, wo ich zu Beginn schon einmal gearbeitet habe.
Das Bergdorf Haydan nach zweieinhalb Monaten zu verlassen war wirklich nicht einfach. Die Menschen dort sind mir so ans Herz gewachsen. Zu wissen, dass ich sie vermutlich nicht wiedersehen werde, war schwer und traurig. Die jemenitischen Ärzt*innen und Krankenpfleger*innen leben dort ihr Leben. Immer. Mit all den Entbehrungen und Schwierigkeiten im Alltag und in der medizinischen Versorgung. Wenn es eine Benzinblockade gibt, was letzten Monat der Fall war, funktionieren die Generatoren nicht mehr. Damit auch die Wasserpumpen und die Versorgung mit Frischwasser. Die Transportwege werden immer komplizierter und teurer, da nur noch wenige Menschen Zugang zu Benzin haben. Somit kommen immer mehr Patient*innen sehr spät und in sehr kritischem Zustand. Zum Glück hatte Ärzte ohne Grenzen für diesen Fall genug Benzinreserven, sodass uns die Benzinblockade im Krankenhaus selbst nicht weiter beeinträchtigt hat. Für die Bevölkerung war es aber wochenlang sehr schwierig.
Haydan hat mir viel beigebracht. Medizinisch, politisch, gesellschaftlich, menschlich. Ich habe gesehen was richtige Armut bedeutet. Was es bedeutet nicht genug Geld zu haben, um seine Kinder zu ernähren. Was es für Konsequenzen hat, in sehr miserablen hygienischen Verhältnisse zu leben. Die Nähe zum Krieg hat mir beigebracht Flugzeuggeräusche anders wahrzunehmen und in der Notaufnahme sowohl mit den physischen als auch mit den psychischen Folgen der Gewalt konfrontiert zu werden. Ich habe viele Verletzungen von Luftangriffen gesehen, Verbrennungen, Granatsplitterverletzungen, Amputationen. Aber auch einen körperlich unversehrten Mann, der uns mit einem schweren psychischen Trauma von der Frontlinie gebracht wurde und für den unser Team sehr viele Beruhigungsmittel benötigte, um die Situation einigermaßen händeln zu können.
https://blogs.msf.org/de/bloggers/annette/von-stillen-heldinnen-und-grossen-vorbildern
(B H)
Film: “Kinder in Not” – Jemen
https://zkn-verein.de/sample-page/
(B H)
Film: Krieg, Hunger – und jetzt Corona: Warum wir die Katastrophe im Jemen nicht vergessen sollten
Durch den jahrelangen Krieg im Jemen ist die Gesundheitsversorgung kritisch. Die Corona-Krise verschlimmert die Situation nun nochmal deutlich. Ein Interview mit Theresa Berthold von "Ärzte ohne Grenzen" über eine Katastrophe, die nur wenig Beachtung findet. [der Film wird bei mir nicht angezeigt]
(B H P)
UN Abrupt Withdrawal Leads to Humanitarian Catastrophe: Health Official
Head of Al-Thawra Hospital in Sanaa, Dr. Abdullatif Abu Taleb, said that the United Nations decision to stop supplying health sector is dangerous and causes a real disaster.
In an interview with Almasirah TV, Dr. Abu Taleb, added " they want to hit Yemenis in light of the tight blockade, preventing the entry of medical supplies and the lack of oil products."
For his part, the head of Al-Thawra Hospital in Hodeidah, Dr. Yahya Suhail said: "The UN abrupt withdrawal will lead to a humanitarian catastrophe".
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=14769
(B H)
Yemen Emergency Dashboard, July 2020
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-emergency-dashboard-july-2020
(A H)
Ten days after her family sank, Yemeni Ibb flood victim found
https://debriefer.net/en/news-19598.html
(* B H)
WHO: Kidney dialysis centres lack drugs, fuel in Yemen
The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday warned that the dialysis centres in Yemen suffer from a severe shortage of essential supplies such as medication and fuel to run hospital equipment, as well as a lack of funds to pay health care workers.
The organisation said in a statement that between September 2019 and May 2020, about 110,340 dialysis sessions were provided to more than 4,300 patients suffering from chronic kidney failure.
The statement quoted the Noncommunicable Disease Officer at the WHO country office in Yemen, Dr Abdulwahab Al-Nehmi, as saying that “limited access to dialysis sessions and treatment put the lives of these vulnerable patients at higher risk, not to mention the suffering they go and their families through because of the lack of treatment.”
The statement noted that despite the long efforts of WHO and its partners in coordination with health authorities, significant gaps remain due to funding shortages to the humanitarian response in Yemen under the throes of the collapse of public institutions.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200903-who-kidney-dialysis-centres-lack-drugs-fuel-in-yemen/
(* B H)
Water-related conflicts set to rise amid demand growth and climate impacts
From Yemen to India, and parts of Central America to the African Sahel, about a quarter of the world’s people face extreme water shortages that are fueling conflict, social unrest and migration, water experts said on Wednesday.
With the world’s population rising and climate change bringing more erratic rainfall, including severe droughts, competition for scarcer water is growing, they said, with serious consequences.
“If there is no water, people will start to move. If there is no water, politicians are going to try and get their hands on it and they might start to fight over it,” warned Kitty van der Heijden, head of international cooperation at the Netherlands’ foreign ministry.
“It’s threats like these that keep me up at night,” the diplomat told a webinar hosted by the World Resources Institute (WRI), a U.S.-based research group.
According to the WRI, 17 countries face “extremely high” levels of water stress, while more than two billion people live in countries experiencing “high” water stress.
In terms of water availability, “at some point we are going to hit the wall, and that wall might be different in different places”, Heijden said.
Climate change is compounding the challenge, she said, with cities such as India’s Chennai and South Africa’s Cape Town battling severe water shortages in recent years related in part to erratic rainfall.
In Yemen, years of fighting has destroyed water infrastructure, leaving millions without safe water to drink or grow crops. Wells and other water facilities also have been targets in Somalia, Iraq, Syria and other countries, he said.
(B H)
Yemeni Development Network for NGOs (YDN) Monthly Bulletin, July 2020
YDN is planning to intervene in seven government schools in Alqahera District,
Taiz Governorate rehabilitating sanitation facilities and distributing school kits.
This intervention includes distribution of 4000 school kits to 4000 students. sanitation facilities will be rehabilitated by restoring the bathrooms, replacing the damaged tanks, repairing the water networks, extensions and sewage networks repair of in seven government schools in Alqahera District, Taiz Governorate.
Out of the total population of 7.9 million people in southern governorates in 133 districts, 2 million were estimated to be highly food insecure
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemeni-development-network-ngos-ydn-monthly-bulletin-july-2020
(* B H P)
Yemen Humanitarian Update Issue 8 (August 2020)
Torrential rains cause devastation across Yemen for the third time this year
COVID-19 response to be pivoted
Fuel crisis seriously holds back the humanitarian response in northern governorate
Stranded migrants in Yemen in desperate need of humanitarian assistance
Locust infestations threaten to exacerbate food insecurity in Yemen
Security Council warned that the acute funding shortage is leading to deeper cuts to the aid operation and deadly consequences for the Yemeni population
On 18 August, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Ramesh Rajasingham, warned Security Council members of the devastating effects that the shortage of humanitarian funding is having on the aid operation in Yemen. As he briefed the Security Council, the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) was 21 per cent funded, only 3 per cent up on the previous month, the lowest figure ever seen in Yemen so late in the year. “We cannot over-emphasize the severe impact the resulting cuts are having,” said Mr. Rajasingham. “It is very difficult to explain the rationale for these cuts to families who, as you heard last month, are staring down a possible famine or losing loved ones to COVID-19.”
By the end of August, the figure had inched up, and the HRP was 24 per cent funded, leaving the humanitarian response still woefully underfunded with US$811.5 million received of the $3.38 billion required. The Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator recapped on some of the worst cuts to the operation to date – partners unable to pay allowances to frontline health works or cover basic operational costs for health facilities in the middle of a pandemic; the closure of health facilities caring for 1.8 million people; and reduced food aid for 8 million people while famine is stalking the country. But worse is to come. Mr. Rajasingham highlighted that by the end of August, without further funding, water and sanitation programmes would be reduced by 50 per cent in 15 cities; in September support will stop to almost 400 more health facilities, cutting off 9 million people from medical care; and treatment for over a quarter of a million severely malnourished children will stop – children who will die without assistance.
Even pledges made at the funding conference at the start of June remain unpaid – only about half of the $1.35 million pledged has been received.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-update-issue-8-august-2020
(B H)
Yemen Situation Report, 3 Sep 2020
Torrential rains cause devastation across Yemen for the third time this year
COVID-19 response to be pivoted
Fuel crisis seriously holds back the humanitarian response in northern governorates
Stranded migrants in Yemen in desperate need of humanitarian assistance Locust infestations threaten to exacerbate food insecurity in Yemen
Security Council warned that the acute funding shortage is leading to deeper cuts to the aid operation and deadly consequences for the Yemeni population
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-situation-report-3-sep-2020
(B H P)
Decision to stop support to health sector in Yemen politically motivated, Houthi minister
Health minister in the Houthi salvation government, Taha Al-Mutawakil, on Tuesday said a decision to stop the support of UN and international agencies to the health sector in Yemen was politically motivated.
We can't separate the decision from economic pressure exercised by an aggression coalition, he said, referring to a Saudi-led coalition fighting in support of the internationally recognised government.
UN and international agencies have already stopped giving financial incentives for doctors of hospitals as the coalition is continuing to prevent fuel from entering the country, he said, according to Almasirah TV.
The decision is threatening the lives of many people with chronic illnesses, he said, warning of its severe impacts on the health sector in general.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-19570.html
(B H)
Students of private universities complain about the increase in university fees which jeopardizes the ability of dozens of students to continue studying in light of the continuous deterioration of the Yemeni currency
https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1300839615977467905
(* B H)
Access to Basic Needs in Yemen: Scenarios - Possible developments affecting Yemenis’ access to basic needs and services in 2020 (August 2020)
More than five years of war have pushed millions of Yemenis into increasingly desperate coping mechanisms. Conflict, spread of diseases, economic crisis, and the breakdown of institutions are driving high levels of humanitarian need.
The following scenarios describe situations that could occur in the coming six months and are designed to highlight the possible impacts and humanitarian consequences associated with each scenario:
Conflict decreases amid a rise in COVID19 casualties and economic deterioration
Continuing conflict with periodic escalation, COVID-19 cases continue while the economy declines slowly
Conflict intensifies as peace initiatives fail, fuelling the spread of COVID-19 and economic collapse
Fragile ceasefire sets the foundation for a slow recovery and improved response to COVID-19
The aim is to support strategic planning, create awareness, and promote preparedness activities. The timeframe is until December 2020.
(* B H)
Yemen: Child labour on rise as war-torn country struggles under COVID-19 strain
More families are turning to child labour as millions of people are living on the brink of starvation in Yemen. Coronavirus has seen the slowing of international aid, resulting in families, who are dependent on relief, turning to desperate measures. At the start of the summer, the UN reported that the healthcare system has practically collapsed, leaving millions in a vulnerable position, as the pandemic grips the world. Children selling bottled water and repairing cars on the streets could be seen in footage from Saturday in the city of Taiz, currently under the control of the Saudi-led coalition. A lack of job opportunities, as well as heavy bombing and destruction has affected many schools, and lead to the deprivation of school and education for many Yemeni children.
One of the children working from a young age is Zaher, who was forced into labour to support his family after he said his father fell sick. "We do not have anything to eat. Sometimes we receive some food materials from organisations or beneficiaries. We live in a small place inside a mosque. The rent costs 15,000 Yemeni Riyal (€50; $60) per month. But I cannot pay this rent," he added.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lVx6f5Pdgw = https://www.ruptly.tv/en/videos/20200831-026-Yemen--Child-labour-on-rise-as-war-torn-country-struggles-under-COVID-19-strain
and
Photos / film, one example: https://twitter.com/Food4Humanity/status/1300724128035606529
https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1300904422508290054
(* B H)
Feature: War in Yemen forces mlns of children into labor
Adel Rabie, 13, should be in school. Instead, he works at a market in Hajjah province in northern Yemen, trying to earn a living.
"I sell cigarettes to support my family... If I do not work, my family will not be able to live," the smiley kid told Xinhua in the market of Hayran district.
Like Adel, hundreds of other children in the market sit down in the hot sun from sunrise to sunset, selling cigarettes, vegetables and other cheap goods.
Adel says he tries to earn around two U.S. dollars a day to buy some food for his mom and his little sisters living in a tent at a camp for the families, displaced by war from the northern border villages. Adel's father died at the beginning of the war.
According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the war in Yemen has forced over 2 million children out of school and put another 3.7 million at risk of being dropped out, due to non-payment of teachers' salaries for more than three years.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-08/31/c_139331547.htm
(* B H P)
Unknown fate for the billions of dollars donated to Yemen
Two months after the last conference of donors to support Yemen, questions are increasing about the fate of this money, which is often heard noise in the media, but we do not find it has any tangible impact, on reality, or on people's lives
Economists consider that the donors' conference is not different from the previous ones, as Yemenis only hear them through the media, but no presence on the ground
They emphasized that the Yemenis will not benefit from donor pledges, because unknown parties receive and share money and use the suffering and pain of the people as a humanitarian gesture, through which the United Nations organizations attract a lot of support
They pointed out that since the beginning of the war and with the experience of the past five years, these conferences will have no effect, as 50% of these pledges go, such as operating expenses, salaries and petty cash for employees of international organizations, and the rest of them go to the Houthi militia, by virtue of the fact that the offices of these organizations are in their areas of control. Adding that international organizations movements and activities require the issuance of permits by the Houthi militia, while some influential people in the Hadi government receive a part of this money
https://www.khabaragency.net/news131509.html
(* B H)
Yemen COVID-19 Joint Market Monitoring Initiative, dates of data collection: 23 July - 30 July 2020
The JMMI continues to collect price data for fuel, water, and hygiene products, including all the components of the WASH Survival Minimum Expenditure Basket (SMEB). In addition, new indicators specific to the COVID-19 crisis and its potential impact on markets are now being tracked on a bi-weekly basis from April 2020 (by rounds #R)^. Findings are based on 249 interviews with vendor key informants (KIs), and are to be considered indicative only. Additional methodology can be found in the full JMMI fact sheet.
KEY FINDINGS: 23 - 30 JULY 2020
The number of businesses reported as open within a 2 minute walk from KIs has continued to increase.
Vendor KIs reported facing additional difficulties obtaining fuel. 91% of vendor KIs reported that diesel was difficult to obtain and 82% reported difficulties obtaining petrol.
Prince inflation remains the most commonly reported economic issue when obtaining fuel, WASH, food items, and water trucking services.
The food SMEB cost was found to have decreased by 16.3% since early July, contributing to a 13.4% decrease in the overall SMEB cost.
The average restocking time for food items was found to be lower than for fuel and WASH items.
Exchange rates continue to differ across the country
(* B H)
Central Asia and Yemen Price Bulletin, July 2020
Wheat is the staple food for poor households in Yemen and sorghum is most often consumed as a substitute. The price trends of wheat and wheat flour are generally stable on a Source: SIMA, Niger Pakistan Bureau of Statistics; FSIS-FSTS, Yemen month-to-month basis with some variations due to seasonal demand (i.e. during the Ramadan festivities). Rice is important to all wealth groups. Livestock husbandry is important for highland areas of the country. Sana’a market is important in Yemen and supplies other markets within the country. Wheat milling is concentrated at the ports of Aden and Al Hudaydah, which also serve as the main reference and source markets for the southern and northern regions, respectively. Aden is the reference market for the southern region, located in a deficit zone, and is the largest wholesale market with a large storage capacity. Al Hudaydah is an assembly, wholesale, and retail market located on the western coast – one of the most populated areas in the country where many households are staple food market-dependent.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/central-asia-and-yemen-price-bulletin-july-2020
(* A H P)
UNDP and the European Union enter the largest agreement to improve the economic and social wellbeing in Yemen
The European Union (EU) and United Nations Development Programme in Yemen (UNDP) have signed a partnership agreement aimed at improving the economic and social wellbeing of Yemenis. With concentrated efforts toward the poorest and most vulnerable populations, the EURO 69.8 million (approximately USD 82.4 million) partnership will be the largest of its kind and will work to strengthen local authorities, bridge lifesaving humanitarian and longer-term development work, and engage the Yemeni private sector to fight poverty.
A three-year initiative, the Strengthening Institutional and Economic Resilience in Yemen (SIERY) intends to rebuild community trust in the Yemeni state and help redefine the central-to-local relations. SIERY will help scale-up support to the Yemeni formal local governance system to help maintain and ensure citizens’ have access to a wide range of basic services, that conflict is minimalized and social cohesion is fostered at the community-level, and that there is a sustainable economic recovery process in place for communities.
Fully aligned with the EU’s Global Strategy to build resilience by supporting good governance, strengthen humanitarian-development nexus and support private sector development, SIERY responds to crucial development challenges.
My comment: Evidently, this expresses the EU’s political priorities. Obviously other things would be more urgent.
(B H)
WFP Yemen Country Brief, July 2020
5.9 million people targeted in July 2020
46,068 mt of general food assistance dispatched
USD 5.9 million cash-based transfers to be made
USD 11.3 million value of redeemed commodities through food vouchers
USD 703 million six-month net funding requirements (September 2020 – February 2021)
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/wfp-yemen-country-brief-july-2020
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
(* B H)
Yemen: UNHCR Operational Update, 3 September 2020
As of June 2020, the Protection Cluster has reached over 1.2 million people with critical protection services, including cash assistance for protection services, legal and psychosocial support. In several areas including in Marib and Al Hudaydah governorates, protection risks are compounded by ongoing conflict, floods and the threat of COVID-19. Despite growing needs, the Protection Cluster remains short of resources, with protection partners facing the closure of community centres due to lack of funding. Only 17 such centres remain operational as of August 2020, compared to 37 in 2019.
As part of its regular monitoring exercises, UNHCR conducted post-distribution monitoring of a selected 443 IDP and host community families in 17 out of 22 governorates, who had received UNHCR multi-purpose cash assistance in January 2020. More than 98 per cent of the families informed that the cash was used to buy food, followed by covering health costs including medicine (78 per cent), water (68 per cent), debt repayment (57 per cent) and rent (47 per cent). Some 70 per cent of the families were forced to reduce expenditures on hygiene products, water, infant supplies, health and education to meet their food needs, while some 60 per cent had to take new loans or borrow money.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-unhcr-operational-update-3-september-2020
(B H)
Shamsan Family Success Story (Jul 2020)
Shamsan Abdo, was received from CCCM partner as an urgent case after referral from the protection partner, in response to this case, the CCCM partner started the verification process and here the tragedy was discovered.
Shamsan, 39 years old, is an IDP who left Taiz with his family four years ago and settled down in Al Udayn district.
Recently, some real serious problems forced him to take his family and leave to nowhere. Shamsan, who is now in a very bad physical and psychological condition, his mentally sick wife and his four little girls found themselves in Ibb city, with nothing to keep them safe and dignified; even for one single night. A family volunteered to host only the mother and the four daughters for not more than three days and now they dwell the streets again. The sick poor miserable father is chainhanded and could not stand this life anymore to the extent that he is seriously thinking to put an end to their life.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/shamsan-family-success-story-jul-2020
(B H)
Newly IDP Got (NFIs) : Success Story
Saeed Mohsen Fahas, a 47-year-old married, used to live happily with his five children. He was living in a convenient home before the con- flict started as a shepherd who tended and reared sheep. The cries of his little children enforced him to flee to Al-Sarahat IDPs’ Hosting Site in Al Maton District-Al Jawf Gov, seeking a refuge for his scared children.
Saeed, as a newly IDP, found a shelter that lacks the minimum life needs, where they had only a pan to cook in; whereas, there were no blankets to cover them in winter`s season, only cartons could cover their chilly bodies.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/newly-idp-got-nfis-success-story
(A H)
Film: “They can’t protect their children from #COVID19 because they will starve to death.” Rawada, displaced in Taizz.
Watch how @MOFAKuwait’s support is helping IOM improve infection prevention measures for displaced people in Yemen.
https://twitter.com/IOM_Yemen/status/1300317705761939457
(A H)
In early August, nearly 1,290 families were displaced due to conflict, natural hazards and COVID-19. To support displaced people, IOM, in partnership with @USAIDSavesLives provided cash assistance to 8,700 families in Marib since the start of 2020.
https://twitter.com/IOM_Yemen/status/1300313647651139584
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
(A P)
Nine people were injured in Damt district of Dhale’a province as Houthi militiamen shot live fire on peaceful rallies protesting at the militia
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-41744
(A P)
Deluded top military leaders, soldiers returned to Sanaa
Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad al-Salahi, who was appointed in the mercenary government as director of Criminal Investigation in Jawf province along with a number of officers and individuals who were working with him returned to Sanaa.
During the reception of the returnees, director-general of moral guidance and public relations brigadier Mansour al-Lakoumi welcomed al-Salahi and his companions who left the hypocritical camps in Jawf and Marib, stressing that they made the right decision before it was too late.
Al-Lakoumi explained that the amnesty decision announced by the Supreme Political Council is still in force and that the door is open for all deceived to return to the national ranks and defend the land and the Yemeni people from the greed of the aggressors and invaders.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3107778.htm
My remark: Defectors from the Hadi government army.
(* A E P)
Houthis raid stores, confiscate millions of new banknotes in east Taiz
The Houthi Group on Wednesday raided exchange, gold and other stores in regions under its control in east Taiz province and confiscated millions of Yemeni rials of new banknotes that have been issued by the internationally recognised government.
The raids followed an order two days ago for all stores in east Taiz to avoid the circulation of new bank notes and to use only old bank notes.
The order forced many stores and markets to shut down.
Meanwhile, locals told Debriefer the old bank notes are disappearing as the group is tightening control on the new bank notes in the capital Sanaa and other big cities.
Economists said the Houthi measures will deepen the suffering of the people who have been coping with harsh conditions caused by the six-year war.
All employees in Taiz province, including those living in Houthi-run parts, are receiving their salaries from the government-run central bank in Aden after they were removed from the half-salary payrolls of the Houthi government.
The Houthis have been giving half salaries to public servants in regions under their control every three or six months since the central bank was relocated to Aden in late 2016.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-19587.html
My comment: The Houthis are “fighting” against the new banknotes which had been introduced by the Hadi government, only accepting the old banknotes. But these are extremely worn and are getting rare. The Houthi claim that the new banknotes are accelearing inflation seems to come true; compare the Riyal / Dollar rate of Houthi and Hadi gov. held territories (look at cp13d).
(A P T)
Al-Qaeda convict sentenced to death, 19 others to prison terms
The Specialized Criminal Court in the capital Sanaa on Wednesday convicted 20 accused of participating in an armed gang of Al-Qaeda organization in what is known as "Taiz cell", sentencing one of them to death.
The rest of the terrorist cell members were sentenced to prison terms ranging from five to 10 years.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3107757.htm
and also https://debriefer.net/en/news-19599.html
(A P)
Parliament to resume sessions Saturday
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3107720.htm
(A P)
Houthi militia explodes citizens’ houses in Serwah, west of Marib
Houthi militia blew up a number of houses in Serwah district, west of Marib province, on Wednesday.
Local sources said that the Houthi militia blew up a number of houses belonging to Al-Firas tribe in Wadi Al-Qa’id, Serwah district.
According to the sources, one of the houses blown up by the Houthi militia was that of Tribal Sheikh Saleh bin Firas al-Jahmi.
http://en.26sepnews.net/2020/09/02/houthi-militia-explodes-citizens-houses-in-serwah-west-of-marib/
(A P)
Criminal Court issues the execution decree of convicted for targeting, killing central security soldiers, officers in Capital Sanaa
Specialized Criminal Court of the First Instance in the Capital Sanaa has ruled to execute a convicted of targeting and killing soldiers of the Central Security Forces in al-Sabeen Square.
The execution of the sentence will be at the crime scene in al-Sabeen square as the death penalty and retaliation penalty for the crime he had committed against 70 soldiers.
The sentence of this court ruled that the accused Ahmed Mohammed Atiq al-Azzani and was convicted of the charges in the indictment, he is going to be shot dead according to the death penalty in al-Sabeen square.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3107670.htm
(A P)
Houthi extremists kill new detainee by cutting parts of his body alive
Houthi extremists have killed a new detainee in their run jails in Yemen’s north by cutting parts of his body and leaving him to bleed until death, multiple Yemeni news outlets reported quoting local sources.
Mohammed Abdullah Mohsen Salbah, a teacher, was kidnapped by the Shia theocratic militants in the city of Hajjah in north Yemen and was tortured for four days until he died on Monday, it was reported on Tuesday.
“The militia subjected him to horrific torture: they cut parts of his body including the major blood vessels in his arms and left him to bleed to death,” the sources said.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-41699
and also https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/1300702704419864576
(A P)
Houthis have executed two of their own militiamen in Al-Beidha province suspecting them of treason after suffering military losses in the recent fight against the army and oppositionist tribes
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-41698
(A P)
Strong rifts and exchanged kidnapping of informants are taking place between the rival Houthi intelligence agencies
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-41698
(A P)
Yemen: Houthi security members rape two children
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgQ_Qfv9pow
My remark: This already had been reported earlier; more details here.
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
Alles über Sokotra; Erwartete Veränderungen bei der Hadi-Regierung: cp1 / All about Socotra; Expected changes in the Hadi government: cp1
Aden verbleibt in der Hand der Separatisten im Süden. Ihre Medien verbreiten eine große Menge von parteiischen Berichten, die das Narrativ der Separatisten überihren Hauptgegner, die Islah Partei (genannt "Muslim-Bruderschaft"), über die Kämpfe in Abyan und Shabwa, ihre Herrschaft in Aden und den von ihnen kontrollierten Gebieten verbreiten.
Aden remains in the hands of southern separatists. Their media are spreading a bulk of biased reports, showing their narrative of their foes from Islah Party (labeled “Muslim Brotherhood”), the fighting at Abyan and Shabwa, their self-rule at Aden and the areas under their control.
(A K P)
Fighting is raging again between the army and the STC militia in Abyan as the latter has received new armored vehicles from the UAE. The clashes have caused the closure of the main road between Abyan and Aden city.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-41744
(A P)
[Hadi] Gov’t reaffirms return of state offices in Socotra
The acting cabinet said on Tuesday that the return of the state civil and security offices in Socotra is a must to restore the situation.
It indicated that the return of the government local authority to Socotra represents basic steps to the implementation of Al-Riyadh agreement.
Southern separation rebels known as the Southern Transitional Council (STC) seized control of Socotra in June of this year following clashes with the government forces.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-41747
(A K P)
Armed clashes took place today in Socotra between civilians from the archipelago and the UAE-backed STC militia which overthrew the local government and took control of the archipelago by force
(* A P)
Southern Yemen leader wants place at peace talks
Aidarus Al Zoubadi says the UAE’s presence ensures Yemen isn’t overrun by terrorists
The south of Yemen should be represented in peace talks with the government and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, a southern leader told British parliamentarians.
Aidarus Al Zoubaidi, the president of Southern Transitional Council, said the region's distinct political identity stretched back to 1990s when it united with North Yemen.
Mr Al Zoubaidi said the dreams of southern Yemen in the 1990s of taking part in a state built on democracy, human rights and equality were ruined by a “systematic policy to persecute, punish and marginalise the south" by former ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh.
“We want a political deal that ends this brutal war and it is not too much to ask to be part of a process that determines the future," said Mr Al Zoubaidi, a former governor of Aden.
Mr Al Zoubaidi has maintained that the STC had a mandate from the southern people to work towards a new constitutional settlement in Yemen. He was fired from the governor's role by Mr Hadi in 2017 for his forthright views.
Mr Al Zoubadi said he wanted a federal system that allowed the region's provinces to have a greater say in how they were run.
He said he had close links with the UAE and that its role during the civil war had been very constructive.
Mr Al Zoubaidi said that if it were not for the Saudi-led Arab Coalition's intervention in Yemen, the south would have been overrun by Al Qaeda and ISIS.
When he began his role as Aden’s governor in 2015, he said the province “was on the brink of being overtaken by Al Qaeda".
“As we stand, the alternative for the UAE is for Al Qaeda and ISIS to take over," he said. "Without the input from the UAE we would have serious difficulties and problems."
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/southern-yemen-leader-wants-place-at-peace-talks-1.833592
My comment: By an UAE news site, giving a stage to the UAE puppet southern separatist leader – to again flatter the UAE.
(A P)
President Al-Zubaidi checks on President Hadi’s health
he President of the Southern Transitional Council, President Aidaroos Qassem Al-Zubaidi, made a phone call to His Excellency President Abdu Rabbu Mansoor Hadi, in which during the call, he reassured on the health of President Hadi
https://en.smanews.org/president-al-zubaidi-checks-on-president-hadis-health
My comment: They talk again – hre the separatist leader is labeled “president”. But it’s under Saudi pressure, the Riyadh agreement will fail:
(A P)
Head of Negotiations Affairs Unit Nasser Al-Khabji meets with Prime Minister Moein Abdel-Malik
The head of the negotiation affairs unit of the Southern Transitional Council, Dr. Nasser Al-Khubaji, met on Monday, with Prime Minister Dr. Moein Abdul-Malik, in the presence of the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Mohammad Al Jaber, within the framework of the pivotal role that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia plays, and its sponsorship of the Riyadh Agreement and the mechanism for accelerating its implementation
(A P)
Aden Court considers Yemen coup leaders fugitives from justice
http://en.adenpress.news/news/25985
My remark: “Ghost” triasl againat absent Houthi leaders.
(* A P)
STC forces carry out mass arrests of northerners in Aden
Forces of the UAE-backed southern transitional council on Thursday carried out mass arrests of northern Yemenis in the southern port city of Aden.
The arrests of the northern workers occurred in the districts of Al-Sheikh Othman and Al-Mansora, a local source told Debriefer, adding that 55 were arrested in the neighbourhood of Abdulqawi alone while they were on their way to their workplaces.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-19610.html
(A P)
Thousands rally in solidarity with STC in Shabwa
Thousands of people gathered peacefully in al-Mawsina'a of Shabwa province on Thursday, to stage a mass rally to display their full support for the leadership of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in defiance of all the repressive measures taken by the pro-government Muslim Brotherhood's militias (Islah Party) against the Southerners in the province.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/25981
My remark: Pro-separatist rally. And separatist propaganda emphasizes even more:
(A P)
South Yemen: The oil-rich Shabwa governorate declares its support for STC (with photos)
https://www.south24.net/news/news.php?nid=842
My comment: No, it’s NOT “Shabwa governorate declares its support for STC“, it’s just STC supporters.
(A K P)
Photos: New Campaign to Secure Aden
Aden Security redeployed its forces on Thursday in all the districts of the capital and provincial boundaries down to the neighboring governorate of Lahj.
Many checkpoints were created in various areas and on main roads in order to verify the identity of people in the city.
The new measures took place within a security campaign aiming at securing the capital and preventing the carrying of firearms in Aden.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/25984
My remark: Aden stays in the grip of the separatists.
(A K P)
Explosion and Clashes in Occupied Aden
Sound of an explosion was heard, followed by clashes, at dawn Thursday, in various areas in the Sheikh Othman district in Aden, which is under the control of the Saudi-Emirati invaders and occupiers.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=14759
(* A P)
Major General Bin Brik reveals fate of Self-Administration and next options of Transitional Council
Bin Brik said in an interview with Russian Sputnik that the STC froze the Self-Administration in response to the desire of the brothers in the Arab Coalition in order to give the Muslim Brotherhood water for life, as their definite end was approaching, and we were asked to spare them drops of water of life, which was represented in freezing the Self-Administration, now we will move to a more difficult situation and deeper than the Self-Administration in the face of the government and its corrupt leadership and in the face of terrorism from ISIS and Al-Qaeda, which we face daily.
Regarding the upcoming options, Bin Brik said, “It is not excluded that we form a government that carries out the work unilaterally from the Transitional Council and the esteemed people of the South.
My comment: LOL. The separatists at the same time reject the Riyadh agreement and claim they would implement it. It’s obvious they dislike it and are not willing to share power, but due to Saudi pressure must tell the opposite. It seems they play a Good cop – Bad cop game – Ben Brik playing the role of “Bad cop”. And another “bad cop”: a militia spokesman permanently blaming “Muslim Brotherhood” (i. e. Islah Party which supports the Hadi government):
(A K P)
Southern forces monitor terrorist elements with the Brotherhood’s militia in Abyan
The media spokesman for the southern armed forces in Abyan axis, Mohammad Al-Naqib, confirmed that terrorist elements with the Brotherhood militia wore the black Afghan dress, indicating that this monitoring coincided with the bombing of the sites of the southern forces.
(* B P)
War in Yemen: accusing royal commander of corruption to save crown prince
The source, who asked to remain anonymous, said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are placing pressure on Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi to fire senior military commanders, including vice president Lt. Gen. Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar and defence minister Mohammed Al-Magdishi.
A number of Saudi journalists and observers have always accused Al-Ahmar and Al-Magdishi of claiming salaries of tens of thousands of phantom soldiers, with some suggesting that the number of the phantom soldiers is around 75% of the Yemeni armed forces. Saudi Arabia, which is leading the military intervention in Yemen, is paying the Yemeni armed forces.
Al-Ahmar, who is being accused by pro-UAE political groups in Yemen of being responsible for the setback of the government forces during the battles with the Houthis, will not be included in the coming political settlements, the source said.
"It has been agreed by Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi and political groups in south and north Yemen that Al-Ahmar represents a roadblock to military victory against the Houthis, lasting peace and a fair political settlement in the country," the source added.
It is expected the next period will see a qualitative change in managing the military file in Yemen coinciding with the formation of a new power-sharing government which will include the UAE-backed southern transitional council.
Debriefer obtained documents that showed Mohammed bin Salman has been flooding Yemen with arms through government forces in order to prolong the war. The documents were provided by a senior official in the Yemeni defence ministry.
Most of the weapons transferred for the government forces since the war began have ended in the hands of a third party through local brokers, a thing that was confirmed by an investigative report titled, the end user, which was done by ARJI and DW.
The Saudi defence ministry has sent many military vehicles and weapons to Yemen through a Ukrainian company owned by Israeli diplomats and under direct supervision of Saudi crown prince when he was deputy defence minister in 2016, the documents showed.
Saudis also knew about military operations that targeted camps of government forces killing and wounding hundreds of soldiers and attacks on residential areas that killed many children and women and displaced many families.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-19584.html
(* B P)
Saudi, Yemen military shakeups could mark new chapter in war
The move appears to be part of Crown Prince Mohammed’s anti-corruption drive, but could also be linked to the poor results of Saudi Arabia’s military campaign in Yemen.
Three Yemeni political sources told The Arab Weekly that Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi would soon dismiss numerous officials charged with managing the government’s military affairs, primarily Yemeni Vice-President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar.
According to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, one or two deputies will be appointed to replace Ahmar, who is accused of being directly responsible for failed military operations and the fall of some governorates and regions to the Houthis.
The sources also indicated that Yemeni Defence Minister Muhammad Ali al-Maqdishi will be sacked, with Chief of General Staff Saghir bin Aziz appointed to replace him.
The same sources told The Arab Weekly that the expected changes will come as part of a comprehensive review and overhaul of the Saudi-led Arab coalition in the country.
Both the Yemeni government and the Arab coalition will restructure military management in line with the Riyadh Agreement signed between the government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC).
The military shifts reflect ongoing political shifts as well, the sources said, with a shake-up of alliances and strategies expected that reflect the Arab alliance and the STC’s shared vision.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/25968
My remark: And furtheron, more of well-known separatist propaganda against Islah Party (“Muslim Brotherhood”).
(A P)
Yemen president Hadi returns to Riyadh after medical treatment in US
Yemen’s President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has returned to the Saudi capital Riyadh after routine medical treatment in the United States, according to his Twitter account on Wednesday.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/25971
(A K P)
Escalation of Brotherhood's militias continues in Abyan
The militias of Islah party, the Yemeni arm of Muslim Brotherhood organization within Yemen's legitimacy continue their escalation and violations of Abyan ceasefire and the Riyadh Agreement by attacking the locations under the control of the southern armed forces.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/25969
My remark: As claimed by the separatists.
(* A P)
Yemen mothers call on UAE-backed groups to release their sons
The Mothers of Abductees Association in Yemen yesterday called on the forces of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council to disclose the fate of 38 forcibly disappeared persons in Aden Governorate five years ago.
In a statement the association demanded the disclosure of the fate of their forcibly disappeared sons: “38 of the sons of Aden (under the control of the Transitional Council) have been hidden in secret prisons for 5 years, after being abducted without legal justification, and no one knows about their fate.”
The statement added: “The kidnapped have families who have been denied reassurance about their children, which caused the death of a number of them due to pain over the loss of their sons.”
The statement held the Southern Transitional Council (STC) “responsible for the kidnapping of their children” and demanded their release as well as revealing their fate.
(* B P)
Can Yemen’s Riyadh Agreement be Rescued?
Deep-seeded tensions and disagreements have remained between the United Arab Emirates-backed STC and the Saudi Arabia-backed government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi over control of South Yemen’s territory and resources. Furthermore, despite initially being anti-Houthi coalition partners, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh are at odds regarding Yemen’s future government, due to their diverging geopolitical ambitions.
The STC’s Secretary General Ahmed Hamid Lamlas was sworn in by President Hadi as Aden’s governor on August 11. That same week, he continued with negotiations in Riyadh to discuss a cabinet with Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed. The U.S. Ambassador to Yemen blessed Lamlas’ appointment, noting the significance of an experienced figure taking a position in the new government. These were all lauded as positive signs that the Riyadh Agreement was finally accelerating.
These moves aimed to salvage over a year’s worth of tensions between the STC and the Hadi government, after the former staged a putsch in Aden — South Yemen’s historic capital and the temporary administrative capital for the Hadi government — and then moved to seize control of southern Yemen in August 2019.
However, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi maintained strong coordination and managed to bring both sides to the negotiating table in the Riyadh Agreement.
Tensions Prevent the Agreement’s Implementation
On August 14, a spokesperson for the STC-aligned forces in Abyan, Mohammad Alnaqib, accused what he called “the terrorist Brotherhood militia [i.e. Al Islah party]” of using violence. The STC has often criticized the government for hosting the Islamist Al Islah party and for engaging in alleged government corruption preventing the deal. It has argued Islah militias should withdraw for the deal to be implemented.
Such tensions previously hindered the agreement, as the STC has refused to withdraw its forces and even temporarily pulled out of the Riyadh Agreement last January, citing Islah’s presence in the government. Since then, both sides have repeatedly clashed over the other’s refusal to concede ground, particularly in the oil-rich and strategically located Shabwa and Abyan governorates.
Ongoing Saudi-UAE divergence
Saudi Arabia, however, is keen for the deal to succeed and prevent the STC’s secession. Its primary goal with the Riyadh Agreement was to bolster the power of its preferred ruler Hadi over Yemen, thus securing its own influence and preventing the anti-Houthi coalition’s collapse. A breakdown of the deal would hinder Riyadh’s influence in Yemen, as it would marginalize Hadi and allow the Houthis to consolidate control of the north.
The deal’s success also depends on the UAE, which created and empowered the STC.
A Flawed Agreement
Asides from some words of support from U.S., UK, UN, and EU ministers on the supposed advancement of the Riyadh Agreement, there has been limited international commitment to boost peace efforts. International powers also pay little to no attention to Saudi Arabia and the UAE’s diverging roles in Yemen, which could jeopardize the success of any potential peace deal.
Even if the deal were upheld, these fractures and diverging interests within a unity government could hinder post-war Yemen’s reconstruction, along with its abilities to provide stability and services for impoverished Yemenis, which stands as yet another roadblock in alleviating the country’s intense humanitarian crisis.
In the long term, however, there is a dangerous cocktail for further instability across the South. If the STC pulled out of the agreement and its Emirati backing continued, violence would erupt, and peace efforts would be back to square one – by Jonathan Fenton-Harvey
https://gulfif.org/can-yemens-riyadh-agreement-be-rescued/
(A P)
Shops and business stores shut down in Yemen’s city of Taiz, declaring strike after the national currency depreciated to an all-time low. Source: Multiple media platforms
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-41698
(A P)
Spokesman for Abyan axis reveals developments of the fronts
“The terrorist Brotherhood militias have resumed their violation of the ceasefire agreement on Abyan front by bombing the sites of our forces in the central sector.”
He added, “In return, and in defense, our forces responded firmly to the sources of hostile fire.”
On Monday, Al-Naqib said: The terrorist Brotherhood militia continued its escalation in violation of the ceasefire agreement.
https://en.smanews.org/spokesman-for-abyan-axis-reveals-developments-of-the-fronts
My comment: Of course, all blame is put onto the other side.
(A P)
Deputy of Transitional Council Media: Actions of South hatched components questioned their southern will
The deputy head of the media department of the Southern Transitional Council, Mansour Saleh, described what happened in Sayun of Hadramout governorate on Monday as revealing of the true face of the components that the so-called Yemeni legitimacy was keen to impart to the attempt to falsify the southern will.
My comment: LOL. In this case, political opposition against the separatists is labeled as an “attempt to falsify the southern will.”. What this “southern will” really is, the separatists solely claim to know.claim
(A P)
Southern Yemeni separatist forces block Saudi-led coalition leaders from leaving Aden HQ
Militias staging protest in response to continued lack of payment
Southern Yemeni military protesters have on Sunday prevented Saudi-led coalition leaders from leaving their headquarters in the southern port city of Aden, local sources said.
According to the sources, military forces protesing in front of the gate of the headquarters, closed off the building and prevented the coalition leadership from leaving the building.
In a related context, the southern Yemeni politician Ahmed al-Rubaizi has called on the people of the South to support the protesters and express solidarity with them.
The mercenary forces from southern Yemen are protesting against a continued lack of payment that has been dragging on for months
My comment: Sepatratist militia claim that they must be paid by [no joke!!] the Hadi government they fight against.
and
(A P)
Southern Writers Union Joins Protests of Military Retirees
http://en.adenpress.news/news/25974
My comment: Separatists mobilize their supporters to continue this absurd game.
(* B P)
Will Israel Support Yemen’s UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council?
As the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council struggles to achieve southern independence in Yemen, Abu Dhabi bolsters its ties with Israel. Could this trigger Emirati-Israeli cooperation over Yemen?
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and its Yemeni proxy, the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), have faced obstacles in their mutual ambition of wrecking Yemen’s fragile unity and sovereignty by re-creating an independent “South Yemen” that would become a surrogate state serving Emirati interests first and foremost.
Failed attempts to unify with Yemen’s government also showcase the STC’s reluctance to abandon its stated cause.
This is where the UAE’s asserted ties with Israel come in, following their normalization agreement on August 13: it will further upgrade their geopolitical cooperation. While analysts have speculated over several areas of regional alignment, including countering Turkey and Iran, Yemen could likely become a mutual point of interest for both the UAE and Israel.
Quite a telling indicator of this came from Hani ben Breik, the Vice President of the STC, who made several positive comments regarding the accord while showing receptivity towards Israel.
“Surprisingly, at a recent press conference the STC expressed a positive attitude toward Israel, although the question of official diplomatic relations has yet to be discussed,” Aviel Schneider claimed in his article, citing unidentified political sources.
While these sources may attract skepticism, and specific details of this alleged communication are still unclear, it would not be surprising that support to this extent could eventually occur.
Stronger UAE-Israel Cooperation
In an early possible sign of stronger regional cooperation between the two states, and shortly after the normalization agreement, Israel’s Ministry of Intelligence announced a strengthening of cooperation with Abu Dhabi over the Red Sea, which borders Yemen. Here, Abu Dhabi seeks to secure trade routes, having built ports and military bases in the Horn of Africa across the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Would Israel Back the STC?
A greater concern for Israel in Yemen, however, which may precede any support for southern Yemen’s independence, is the Houthi rebels.
Even if Israel did back the STC, it alone would be sufficient for bolstering the faction’s political aims. Though achieving this may fall under Abu Dhabi’s broader strategy of lobbying for the STC, given its courting of Russia. Only time will tell how effective this potential pro-STC alliance could be – by Jonathan Fenton-Harvey
https://insidearabia.com/will-israel-support-yemens-uae-backed-southern-transitional-council/
(* A P)
Hadi-Zobaidi call brings Yemeni gov't, STC back to talks table
Saudi Arabia has seemingly succeeded in bringing about rapprochement between Yemen's official government and Southern Transitional Council (STC), one week after the STC suspended participation in negotiations with the government on the application of the Riyadh Agreement and its accelerating mechanism.
After long estrangement, the STC Chairman Eidroos al-Zobaidi on Monday called President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi – who is currently in the US for medical tests – to ask about his health.
In Riyadh, the Yemeni designate prime minister, Maeen Abdulmalek chaired a meeting with STC delegation, in the presence of Saudi envoy to Yemen Ahmed Al Jaber, to discuss efforts for applying the Riyadh deal accelerating mechanism.
At the meeting, it was agreed to continue talks on the formation of a new government and redeployment of all armed forces in Aden, the Riyadh-based Saba reported.
The meeting also approved a set of correcting steps and discussed issues and challenges facing the implementation of the mechanism, the news agency added.
"The Riyadh Agreement contains legitimate interests of all parties and represents gains for the State, Yemeni people and all political and social powers," Dr. Abdulmalek told the conference, so "there's no way except its success."
https://debriefer.net/en/news-19562.html
My comment: Another try, and another fail to come.
(A P)
The Southern Transitional Council issues statement regarding escalation of Brotherhood in Sayun
The Southern Transitional Council issued on Monday, an important statement regarding the Brotherhood’s escalation against peaceful youth in Sayun, the capital of the cities of Hadramout Valley.
The following is the statement:
The Transitional Council followed and is still following with great concern the acts of repression and terrorism carried out by the so-called Southern National Coalition, one of the components incubated by the Brotherhood against our people in the city of Sayun of Hadramout governorate by harnessing the Yemeni army forces that occupy the city to suppress and arrest the youth of the south who reject and oppose all occupation plans and its assistants.
The failure of the so-called Southern National Coalition supported by the authority of the Brotherhood and the occupation forces in falsifying the southern will by mobilizing military forces to demonstrate in civilian clothes to support it, as well as by bringing in dozens of buses supporters from outside the southern lands, confirms the failure of all projects to circumvent the cause of our people and their demands for freedom and independence, in which this brought the forces of oppression and occupation into a state of hysteria, as happened in Sayun.
My comment: The separatists blame their enemies – they will not accept any protest and rallies against them.
(A P)
Major General Bin Brik gets awarded with shield of loyalty and gratitude from Union of Southern Authors and Writers
Major General Ahmed Saeed Bin Brik, Acting President of the Southern Transitional Council, and Chairman of the National Assembly received, on Tuesday, at the Assembly’s headquarters, the Shield of Loyalty and Gratitude for the year 2019, from the Union of Southern Authors and Writers headed by Dr. Junaid Mohammad Al-Junaid.
My comment: What an absurd flattery for a separatist militia leader who really does not have anything to do with literature.
(A P)
Yemeni Prime Minister Discusses Riyadh Agreement with STC Delegation
Yemeni Prime Minister Dr. Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed has held a meeting with the chairman and members of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) within framework of continuous efforts to implement a mechanism to accelerate Riyadh Agreement.
Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed bin Saeed Al Jaber, who is also Supervisor of the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen, attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed challenges and obstacles facing the implementation of the agreement’s mechanism. They agreed a set of solutions
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2127596
My comment: Wait and see. The agreement obviously is dead.
(A P)
Yemen to witness progress in implementing Riyadh Agreement, speaker says
Yemen will see progress in the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement in the coming days, House of Representatives Speaker Sultan Al-Barakani said.
Al-Barakani, who was attending a virtual meeting with the United Nations special envoy Martin Griffiths, said progress will be made on military and security fronts of the deal, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency.
There will also be developments in the formation of the government and the preparation of Aden.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1727241/middle-east
My comment: LOL.
(A P)
Saudi Arabia hinders Yemen agreement: Separatist leader
There was no comment from Saudi-led coalition on accusations
A separatist official has accused Saudi Arabia of hindering the implementation of a power-sharing deal, known as the Riyadh Agreement, for southern Yemen.
“The denial of return for southern leaders to Aden by Saudi Arabia is an obstruction of the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement,” Rami Muthana al-Sumaidi, a leader of the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), said on Monday.
He added Riyadh has refused to allow former security chief Shallal Shaya to return to Aden from Abu Dhabi.
Al-Sumaidi warned the Saudi-led coalition of taking any measures to prevent the movement of southern Yemeni leaders in the future.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/saudi-arabia-hinders-yemen-agreement-separatist-leader/1958630 = https://www.yenisafak.com/en/world/separatist-leader-says-saudi-arabia-hinders-yemen-agreement-3538059
(A P)
Taiz rally calls for justice to killed civilian
Tens of Taiz residents on Monday staged a rally in the southwestern city to call for the killers of a civilian be brought to justice.
Mohamed Mahdi (33) was killed last Thursday by soldiers affiliated to the 17th infantry brigade when the victim asked them to leave his house, which the killers appropriated years ago.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-19550.html
(A P T)
Aden security denies assassination behind Islah official death
Aden security forces have arrested the killers of the Yemeni Islah Party's leading member, the southern port city's security department said Monday, hours after the incident.
Oadh Fada'aq was not killed in an assassination, the department added in a press release, according to initial investigations with the felon, which showed the politician was mistakenly killed by a soldier of the fourth military region in the nearby of Mansoura prison.
The shooter was himself who took the Islah leader to hospital, the release added, noting that the "felon was then taken to the criminal inspection office, and all measures will be taken against him according to law."
https://debriefer.net/en/news-19546.html
My comment: A strange story. “Aden security” is a pro-separatist anti-Islah militia. And these “soldiers of 4. military region” are separatist militia as well. How this “mistakenly killed by a soldier” could have happened? A strange story.
Fortsetzung / Sequel: cp8 – cp19
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-677b-yemen-war-mosaic-677b
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-676-yemen-war-mosaic-676
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-676 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-676:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
Der saudische Luftkrieg im Bild / Saudi aerial war images:
(18 +, Nichts für Sensible!) / (18 +; Graphic!)
http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
http://yemenwarcrimes.blogspot.de/
Liste aller Luftangriffe / and list of all air raids:
http://yemendataproject.org/data/
Untersuchung ausgewählter Luftangriffe durch Bellingcat / Bellingcat investigations of selected air raids:
Untersuchungen von Angriffen, hunderte von Filmen / Investigations of attacks, hundreds of films:
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