Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 428 - Yemen War Mosaic 428

Yemen Press Reader 428: 28. Juni 2018: Hodeidah: Beide seiten bereiten sich auf den Kampf vor; schlimme Lage der Bevölkerung; Flüchtlinge; kaum Aussicht auf Frieden – Der Westen und Jemen ...

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Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

... Kinder als Opfer des Krieges – Die beschämende Rolle der UN bei Kriegsverbrechen der Saudi-Koalition – Ein Kind stirbt, alle 10 Minuten – Frauen als Friedensstifter im Jemen – Kräne als Propagandatrick - Raytheon-Bomben für Jemen – und mehr

June 28, 2018: Hodeidah: Both sides prepare for larger fighting; situation of civilians is bad; refugees; no peace in sight – The West and Yemen – Children as victims of war – The shameful role of the UN covering Saudi coalition war crimes – A child dies, every 10 minutes – Women as peacebuilders in Yemen – Cranes: A propaganda stunt – Raytheon’s bombs for Yemen – and more

Schwerpunkte / Key aspects

Klassifizierung / Classification

Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject

cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important

cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics

cp1b1 Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah: Deutsch/ Most important: Hodeidah battle: German

cp1b2 Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah: Englisch / Most important: Hodeidah battle: English

cp2 Allgemein / General

cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation

cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees

cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis

cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government

cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks

cp7a Saudi-Arabien und Iran / Saudi Arabia and Iran

cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia

cp9 USA

cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain

cp11 Deutschland / Germany

cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries

cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis

cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms Trade

cp13b Mercenaries / Söldner

cp13c Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage

cp13d Wirtschaft / Economy

cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism

cp15 Propaganda

cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids

cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War

cp18 Sonstiges / Other

Klassifizierung / Classification

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**

*

(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

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

Einführende Artikel u. Überblicke für alle, die mit den Ereignissen im Jemen noch nicht vertraut sind, hier:

Yemen War: 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

Neue Artikel / New articles

(* B H)

INTERVIEW MIT UNICEF-KOLLEGIN MERITXELL RELANO IM JEMEN

Die Lage der Kinder bleibt extrem düster. Die Kinder zahlen einen hohen Preis für den Konflikt im Jemen. Sie werden immer wieder Gräueltaten ausgesetzt, die sie niemals erleben sollten. Hunderte von Kindern werden in diesem Konflikt getötet und verletzt. Immer mehr Kinder werden durch bewaffnete Gruppen rekrutiert. Sie werden von den Rebellen benutzt, um Checkpoints zu besetzen oder Waffen zu tragen. Ungefähr zehn Millionen Kinder im Jemen brauchen humanitäre Hilfe. Mehr als zwei Millionen von ihnen leiden an Unterernährung. Noch dazu sterben viele Kinder im Jemen an vermeidbaren Krankheiten.

Kinder leben im Jemen unter extrem schwierigen Umständen. Für manche Kinder fängt der Tag damit an, dass sie durch das Geräusch von Bomben oder Schüssen geweckt werden. Dann essen sie das wenige, was sie haben, und müssen danach lange anstehen, um Wasser zu holen. Für einen Jungen ist die Gefahr besonders groß, dass er von bewaffneten Gruppen als Kindersoldat rekrutiert wird. Ein Mädchen wird mit großer Wahrscheinlichkeit jung verheiratet.

Als Folge des Krieges sind fast 2.500 Schulen nicht mehr nutzbar. Die Schulen sind beschädigt oder komplett zerstört, werden von bewaffneten Gruppen zu militärischen Zwecken oder von Flüchtlingen als Unterkunft genutzt. Mehr als zwei Millionen Kinder im schulpflichtigen Alter gehen momentan nicht zur Schule. Viele von ihnen müssen arbeiten, um ihre Familien zu unterstützen.

Mädchen sind die ersten, die die Schule abbrechen. Kinderheirat nimmt im Jemen immer stärker zu und stellt für die Mädchen eine echte Bedrohung dar. Heutzutage werden mehr als zwei Drittel der Mädchen schon vor ihrem 18. Lebensjahr verheiratet – verglichen mit 50 Prozent vor der aktuellen Krise.

Durch den schon drei Jahre andauernden Konflikt sind die Ersparnisse der Menschen aufgebraucht. Über 80 Prozent der Familien sind verschuldet oder darauf angewiesen, sich Geld zu leihen. Die Menschen essen dadurch weniger, müssen billigere Lebensmittel kaufen oder ganze Mahlzeiten ausfallen lassen. Fast 16 Millionen Jemenitern fehlt der Zugang zu sauberem Trinkwasser – die Hälfte davon sind Kinder.

https://www.unicef.de/informieren/aktuelles/blog/jemen-interview-meritxell-relano/168142

cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

(** B K P)

Yemeni Suffering Made Easy

The Saudi and UAE-led operation to retake the rebel-held port city of Hodeidah, which could jeopardize the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians, represents more than the latest tragic chapter in Yemen’s civil war. It is the fully expected outcome of several Western nations’ complicity in a multi-country assault that has made Yemen the world’s largest humanitarian disaster.

The recent attack on Hodeidah is both a function of Western arms support and a feature of longstanding Western political programming that has sustained the coalition’s attack on the country since a bombing campaign began in 2015.

For the last several years the US, UK, and France have all greenlit arms sales, refueling missions, and special forces guidanceto the coalition with few, if any, conditions. The operation in Hodeidah is no different, where French special forces are already on the ground and the US is providing intelligence and aerial refueling to assist the coalition.

But unfettered access to arms is often only as beneficial as the political arguments that justify their use and here again the US, U.K., and France have proven more than capable to assist. The persistent narrative in Western capitals that Iran lurks behind any and all crises in the Middle East, an attitude further buoyed by the presence of staunch regime change advocates in the Trump administration, affords the Saudi-led coalition the easy political cover to claim Houthi rebels are merely Iranian proxies servicing Tehran’s regional ambitions.

Knowing its audience all too well, as if on cue, Yemen’s government-in-exile rationalized the Hodeidah operation by noting that liberating the port from Houthi control will “cut off the hands of Iran, which has long drowned Yemen in weapons that shed precious Yemeni blood.” While the claim that the Houthi rebels are merely Iranian proxies remains problematic, and has been challenged by experts and government officials alike, the ingrained narrative to see the hidden-hand of Iran as the main driver behind disruptive forces in the Middle East makes it increasingly difficult to question the Arab coalition’s rasion d’état for attacking Yemen.

With such military support and political cover from Western countries why would Saudi Arabia, UAE, and other members of the coalition believe anything but the acceptance of their military operations in Yemen?

While the U.S., UK, and France may have felt the moral obligation to intervene in Syria after a ghastly chemical attack, Yemenis are not afforded the same protection for their suffering.

The complicity of the US, UK and France in Yemen’s destruction carries on in Hodeidah. Only the extent of Yemeni suffering remains unclear. Undoubtedly clearer is that for those countries who choose to militarily support and politically abet the bombing of the Middle East’s poorest country, the windfall from arms sales and wishful thinking about regional dynamics matters significantly more than Yemeni lives – by Kevin Schwartz

https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/06/27/yemeni-suffering-made-easy/

(** B K)

UN: Saudi-led coalition behind most Yemen child casualties

A UN report says 370 children out of a total of 552 were killed in 2017 by air strikes carried out by the coalition.

A Saudi-led coaltion was responsible for more than half of child deaths and injuries in war-torn Yemen last year, according to a new United Nations report exclusively obtained by Al Jazeera.

The annual "Children and Armed Conflict" report, which shines the spotlight on child victims around the world, found that a total of 1,316 children were killed and maimed in the Arab world's poorest country in 2017.

It verified that out of the 552 children killed (398 boys, 154 girls), the majority - 370 - were attributed to the coalition, which was also blamed for 300 child injuries.

The Houthis were responsible for 83 children killed and 241 wounded; the pro-government Popular Resistance group for 41 casualties; other international forces fighting for Yemen's government for 19 casualties; al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) for 10 casualties; and the Yemeni Armed Forces, among other parties, for four casualties.

Fifty-one percent of the total 1,316 casualties were caused by air strikes, the report said.

The second leading cause was ground fighting, including shelling and shooting (136 killed, 334 injured), followed by explosive remnants of war and mines (27 killed, 119 injured).

Child recruitment

The report also accused both the Houthis and forces from the Saudi-Emirati coalition of recruiting 842 cases of child soldiers - some as young as 11 years old.

Most of the children were aged between 15 and 17, and nearly two thirds of them (534) were fighting in the ranks of the Houthi militia group.

Child soldiers were also used by the Yemeni armed forces (105) and the Security Belt Forces (142), a militia recruited by the UAE.

Child soldiers were mostly used to guard checkpoints and government buildings, patrol, or for fetching food and water and bringing equipment to military positions. The number of combatants fighting for different parties was 76.

The report includes an addendum that names the groups and parties that are responsible for the killing and wounding of children.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/saudi-coalition-51-percent-yemeni-child-casualties-180626170234907.html

My comment: These figures certainly just are the tip of the iceberg, the figures of casualities are higher. – And totally omitted here are all the children who had died from malnutrition and from available diseases: for these reasons, in Yemen one child dies every 10 minutes. This amounts to ca. 56,000 children a year. The war lasts for more than 3 years now. And for a great part of these deaths the Saudi coalition – as its western backers – are fully responsible: by air raids and blockade.

And

(* B H K P)

Film: Why are children being used as soldiers in Yemen?

Both pro-government forces and Houthis are accused of enlisting children to fight.

But who can hold those guilty accountable?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie; Guests: Mohammed Jumeh - Writer, Columnist and Editor, Al Quds Al Arabi newspaper; Noha Aboueldahab - Visiting fellow, Brookings Doha Center; Mark Kaye - Conflict and Humanitarian Advocacy Adviser, Save the Children.

https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2018/06/children-soldiers-yemen-180627195531569.html

and this is the full UN report: http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S%2F2018%2F465&Submit=Search&Lang=E

und das ist Alles, was es bisher auf deutsch gibt: eine kurze Melding auf einer iranischen Seite, und das auch noch z. T. falsch. Die „Schwarze Liste“ wurde für die saudis schon sehr graugewaschen: http://parstoday.com/de/news/middle_east-i42008-saudi_arabien_auf_schwarzer_liste_der_uno

(** A H K P)

UN: Dangerous Double Standard on Children in Conflict

Secretary-General’s ‘List of Shame’ Should Reflect Report Findings

The United Nations secretary-general’s new report on children and armed conflict sets a damaging precedent by ignoring or downplaying some countries’ abuses in his annual “list of shame,” Human Rights Watch said today.

In the report, released on June 27, 2018, Secretary-General António Guterres announced that he was removing the Saudi-led coalition from the list of parties that have attacked schools and hospitals. The secretary-general also fails to list Israel, Sudan, Iraq, and parties in Ukraine as responsible for violations against children. UN Security Council members should use the July 9 open debate on this year’s report to highlight the contradictions and double standards in the report and accompanying list, Human Rights Watch said.

“The voluminous evidence in the report on violations against children in Yemen, Sudan, and Palestine show that the secretary-general’s ‘list of shame’ is tainted by completely unjustified omissions,” said Jo Becker, children’s rights advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “His decision undermines one of the UN’s most powerful tools to stigmatize human rights violators and hold them to account.”

The secretary-general has been subject to political pressure over the report for several years. The previous secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, apparently succumbed to pressure from the Israeli government in 2015 and the Saudi government in 2016 to omit or remove their forces from his list.

For the second year in a row, Secretary-General Guterres divided the list of those responsible for violations against children into two sections: one for parties “that have put in place measures during the reporting period aimed at improving the protection of children” and another for parties that have not.

This year, the Saudi-led coalition was once again given credit for measures aimed at improving the protection of children, even though the secretary-general attributed 670 child casualties to the coalition. In his previous annual report, covering 2016, Guterres found the coalition responsible for 683 child casualties.

In early June, 24 nongovernmental organizations urged Secretary-General Guterres in a letter to move the Saudi-led coalition from the list of parties that have taken measures to protect children to the list of parties that have not, citing continuing violations in Yemen. A UN panel of experts has also found that measures taken by the Saudi-led coalition to minimize child casualties, “if any, remain largely ineffective.”

“The idea that the Saudi-led coalition has taken effective measures to protect children is pure fiction,” Becker said. “The secretary-general has adopted a disturbing double standard that lets some parties off the hook and not others. He should hold all of those responsible for violations against children to account, without favoritism.”

https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/06/27/un-dangerous-double-standard-children-conflict

My comment: Shame on the UN. This happens for the third time now. The UN report (article above) clearly shows the Saudi coalition impact on children in Yemen. It’s Saudi money and the fear of Saudi bullying which drew this decision – the UN assisting Saudi Arabia in whitewashing its war crimes. The “great brother” USA standing behind the Saudis makes it possible.

and

(** A H K P)

UN’s ‘List of Shame’ Goes Easy on Saudi-Led Coalition

Hundreds of Yemeni Children Killed and Wounded in Airstrikes

Every year, the secretary-general releases his “List of Shame” report on violations against children during wartime. This year’s report rightly called out many of Yemen’s warring parties—the Houthis, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, pro-government militias and Security Belt forces. But, like last year, the coalition was treated differently. It’s on a special list for countries that put in place “measures to improve child protection.”

Yet, a UN expert panel on Yemen concluded that, in 2017, anything the Saudi-led coalition may have done to minimize child casualties remained “largely ineffective.”

The secretary-general’s report itself found the coalition responsible for killing or wounding 670 children in 2017, barely less than its 683 child victims of 2016. Secretary-General Guterres noted a “significant decrease” in attacks on schools and hospitals, while the same report found the coalition responsible for 19 attacks on schools and 5 on hospitals in 2017, compared to its 28 attacks on schools and 10 on hospitals in 2016.

Unless they’re being used for military purposes, schools and hospitals may never be attacked. The secretary-general should be seeking an end to the bombing of schools and hospitals, not attacks at a somewhat reduced pace.

The report even implies the coalition ended its blockade of Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition did no such thing. Rather, it lifted the appalling total closure on all Yemen’s entry points imposed in late 2017. But to this day the coalition is restricting the flow of food and medicine into parts of Yemen, where millions are on the brink of famine. It also keeps the country’s main airport closed, including to many sick and wounded, despite promises to open it to them.

Perhaps most disturbing, the report refers to the Saudi-led forces as the “coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen” instead of the coalition “led by Saudi Arabia,” as was used last year. This year, the report only clearly references Saudi Arabia when discussing progress. Similarly, it lists Security Belt force violations, but the UAE, which funds, trains and directs these forces, is never mentioned.

The secretary-general’s report does a disservice to those pressing the Saudis and Emiratis to comply with their international legal obligations. It suggests, once again, that states with money and power can skirt UN scrutiny, regardless of how egregious their abuses – by Kristine Beckerle, HRW

https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/06/27/uns-list-shame-goes-easy-saudi-led-coalition

(* A H K P)

UN slammed for absolving Saudi coalition of Yemen child deaths

Among the casualties tallied in the report were child soldiers as young as 11 fighting in Yemen's civil war and in other countries, the UN said.

"The point is, these kids should not be treated like children of a lesser God; they deserve the same rights as every kid to live their lives at least meaningfully and to be given a chance at recovery," said Virginia Gamba, the UN special representative for children and armed conflict.
Despite this, Save the Children issued a statement saying the Un had underestimated the number of children killed by the Arab coalition. It also objected to the face that the Coalition was identified in the report as having put in place measures aimed at improving the protection of children, saying it should be listed solely as a group who have committed grave violations against children in conflict.

Kevin Watkins, the charity's Chief Executive, said: “We find it remarkable that despite continued attacks against civilian targets including schools and hospitals, the Saudi- and Emirati-led Coalition is being partly absolved of its responsibilities as a party committing grave violations of children’s rights in Yemen.

“While the Saudi- and Emirati-led Coalition is still listed for killing and maiming children in Yemen, clearing it of attacks on schools and hospitals when the evidence shows otherwise is deplorable.”

https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2018/6/28/un-slammed-for-exonerating-coalition-of-yemen-child-deaths

(** A H K)

A Yemeni toddler fought for his life in a hospital while adults battled each other

The boy was motionless on an operating table, his life slowly fading away. His eyes were closed, his face half covered by an oxygen mask and an IV connected to his limp right arm.

His father was standing next to him, refusing to give up. He waved at the flies circling his son. He adjusted the wet towel atop the boy’s head, a feeble attempt to lower his high fever. He squeezed his small left hand.

In Yemen, described as having the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, a child dies every 10 minutes from preventable causes, according to the United Nations. After three years of civil war, it is hard to say whether the real culprit is disease or the deepening poverty and dire medical shortages resulting from the nation’s upheaval.

That emergency grew even more ominous last week when a Saudi-led coalition began an offensive against the strategic port city of Hodeida.

On an overcast morning a month ago, these three factors conspired against 3-year-old Younous Abdallah.

Younous had been sick for days. His family’s village was 30 miles away from Mokha, and no clinics were nearby. More than 270 hospitals and clinics in Yemen have been destroyed or damaged in airstrikes and clashes, according to the World Health Organization. Others have closed because of a lack of funds as the government poured money into waging war.

It was not until Younous’s fever soared and he started having convulsions and difficulty breathing that his father, Abdallah Ali Abdu, decided to take him to Mokha, his doctor said. Abdu was too poor to hire a car. So he wrapped Younous in a multihued blanket and transported him by motorcycle. But with the road passing near the front line and too insecure to travel at night, they had to wait until morning.

“The locals only bring their cases when in the final or late stages,” physician Abdul Hafith Rajeh said.

Abdu first took his son to Mokha’s civilian hospital, but it had no specialists to handle respiratory or chronic diseases. The medical staff had thinned out, because the government had not paid their salaries in a year, according to hospital administrators and staffers. Nor were there any oxygen tanks.

By the time he reached Mokha’s military hospital, Younous was not breathing, Rajeh said.

The hospital staff managed to resuscitate him.

Four minutes later, the doctor adjusted the valve on the oxygen mask in an effort to resuscitate the boy again. Younous’s chest heaved slightly and then was still.

His father reached under his son’s blue and gray striped shirt and felt for his heartbeat.

Abruptly, Abdu began to cry, breaking the silence in the room.

His son was dead.

Abdu closed his son’s blank, half-opened eyes and removed the IV from his arm. He wrapped the body in the same blanket he had used to bring the boy to the hospital. He kissed his son on the head and wept. The doctor and nurses watched, showing no emotion. This was not a new sight for them.

Abdu took his son’s body in his arms and, without a word to the doctor, carried him outside, through the courtyard and onto the street. Now and then, his sobs rose above the street noise.

Abdu mounted his motorcycle but struggled to balance his son’s body. He stood still, unsure of how to take his son home – by Sudarsan Raghavan

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/a-yemeni-toddler-fought-for-his-life-in-a-hospital-while-adults-battled-each-other/2018/06/23/88b686a5-9dc3-41c3-92db-a8cdb572bc76_story.html

and

(* B H K P)

The Dying Children of Yemen

A Yemeni child dies every ten minutes from preventable causes. Like this little boy, these children do not have adequate food and medicine and they often don’t have access to medical care. Their families are impoverished, their country’s infrastructure has been devastated, and the costs of the food and medicine that is available are often too high for most to afford. While most are not killed directly by shells or bombs, they perish by the thousands because of the war and have to be considered its victims.

The loss of life in Yemen has already been very great, but most news reports repeat conservative estimates from years ago that put the death toll at a little over 10,000. That figure was probably too low several years ago, and today it is completely inaccurate. The true death toll from this war is probably ten times that at least, and most of the dead are the most vulnerable and weakest who succumbed to starvation or died from treatable diseases that could not be properly treated because the country has been strangled by a blockade for more than three years. These victims remain largely invisible to the outside world, but their number continues to grow each day that the coalition wrecks and starves Yemen with U.S. backing.

This young boy Younous was just three years old, and so never knew a time when his country was not being torn apart by this war. His short life was marred by want and disease. That grim story is repeated again and again around the country, and the vast majority of these deaths could be prevented if there were a cease-fire and an end to the blockade. The Saudi coalition offensive on Hodeidah threatens to make the first even less likely and severely worsen the effects of the second. There will be many more children lost as Younous was if the offensive goes forward – by Daniel Larison

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/the-dying-children-of-yemen/

(** B H P)

W O M E N A S P E A C E B U I L D E R S IN YEMEN

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

We know that conflict is gendered: that men and women have different experiences and play different roles. We also know that although women are often politically, economically and socially marginalised, they still play a significant role in peace and stability. This research sought to understand how women in Yemen are engaging in conflict prevention, peace and stability activities in three target governorates (Ma’rib, Ta‘iz and Lahij) and investigates how their capacities and opportunities to engage are affected by their experiences of conflict, insecurity and changes in the wider social and governance environment.

Our findings point to both a core set of overall trends which validate existing knowledge on women, conflict and peacebuilding in other parts of Yemen, as well as important local nuances and contrasts in each target governorate – and even within governorates.1 It found that women are at the frontline of sustaining families and communities and addressing the devastating effects of conflict. In a protracted conflict such as Yemen’s, de-escalation in ways which do not undermine long-term peace is a key need alongside efforts to address the dynamics that drive further conflict. Women are playing an essential role in this in a number of ways: by meeting humanitarian need and mitigating suffering; maintaining local services where government is inadequate or absent; addressing the psychological impact of violence; promoting peace; mediating between armed parties; and contributing to economic recovery.

Our research also highlighted the very real risks of doing harm. If not implemented thoughtfully, humanitarian distribution can provoke tensions by not providing for everyone in the community (or assessing areas without providing follow-up support), targeting only one segment (e.g. IDPs) of a highly vulnerable community, or using women’s organisations purely as conduits for aid distribution, inadvertently diverting their agendas and priorities. Programming in support of women’s empowerment could equally expose women to further risks if not very carefully designed in a context where women’s public activity is being directly threatened by violent extremist groups, and domestic violence is increasing as traditional gender roles are challenged. There may also be times when international partners should not support women’s effective local responses to conflict and instability, such as direct conflict mediation in tribal areas, for risk of undermining their local legitimacy. Time and again, local women emphasised the need to work in partnership with them, and to make external support inclusive of the whole community, whilst making the most of the opportunity to advance women’s strategic interests and status.

Key findings

Gender-based violence (GBV)2 has increased since the conflict began, in both public and private. This is in line with international experience3 and includes domestic (emotional/ verbal, physical) violence; abduction; rape; sexual harassment in public spaces (by armed men); early marriage; and physical threats and attacks towards female activists.

Women are more economically active than they were before the war, as men have been injured, killed or lost their jobs. This has brought a sense of empowerment for women but has also caused tensions between men and women, leading to more domestic violence. There is a risk that positive changes will be reversed once conflict ends if not proactively supported.

Women are playing an essential role in delivering an impressive local humanitarian response and sustaining community services and structures, even under direct threat and with extremely limited resources. This is considered an acceptable, “natural” role for women in public life across Yemen, although the significance of their contributions is not always recognised nor sufficiently supported, which women activists perceive as an obstacle.

Women are playing an essential role in delivering an impressive local humanitarian response and sustaining community services and structures, even under direct threat and with extremely limited resources. This is considered an acceptable, “natural” role for women in public life across Yemen, although the significance of their contributions is not always recognised nor sufficiently supported, which women activists perceive as an obstacle.

http://www.sddirect.org.uk/media/1571/sdd_yemenreport_full_v5.pdf

(** B H K P)

Was it just a publicity stunt! Where are WFP cranes for Hodeidah Hodeida port west Yemen !!!

Twitter account @hussainbukhaiti took footage of WFP cranes in Hodeidah port on Sunday 24th of June 2018 According to port staff, cranes were hardly used cos the main problem is Saudi UAE blockade on Yemen especially on Hodeidah port. Coalition has destroyed main cranes which can receive big containers ship and now the WFP cranes are to small and can only receive small ship in a port that receive 80% of aid according to UN.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE0ivCTUyq4

My comment: Tiny cranes (compare them to the original cranes which had been destroyed by Saudi air raids, here: https://twitter.com/HussainBukhaiti/status/1011206825126047745) just truck-size, and even standing in the garage! And how the US and the Saudis had boasted for these toy cranes! Bukhaiti is right, this was a propaganda stunt.

(** B E K P)

Raytheon’s profits boom alongside civilian deaths in Yemen

Company’s stock soars as bystanders are killed by Raytheon rockets

The missile that killed 23 people attending a wedding in northern Yemen in April came from a factory in southern Arizona.

The missile was fired on the night of April 22 by Saudi-led coalition forces, which have been waging war on Yemen’s Houthi clans for three years. The Guardian reported the majority of casualties were women and children. Survivors described how the jets continued to circle the bombing site after the attack, preventing first responders from reaching the victims. The 20-year-old groom, Yahya Ja’afar, and his bride, Fatum Allam, escaped harm, but dozens of friends and family were not so lucky.

In the rubble, the survivors found shards of a missile with a serial number. Local media in Yemen published a photograph of the remnants taken by the Ansar Allah Media Center, which has extensively documented the airstrike on Telegram, Facebook, and Twitter. Using a defense contractor database, investigators from the investigative site Bellingcat traced the weapon to Raytheon’s factory in Tucson.

It wasn't the first time a Raytheon weapon had killed innocents in Yemen, writes Patrick Wilcken, a researcher for Amnesty International, in Medium:

The Saudi coalition’s indiscriminate attacks have coincided with the sharp rise in Raytheon’s share price, prompting human rights lawyers to ask: Is the $55 billion firm “aiding and abetting” war crimes?

According to the law, probably not. It depends on what the company, namely its officers and board of directors, knows about the targeting practices of the Saudi coalition forces. Local and international human rights groups have documented a reckless disregard for the lives of non-combatants in this remote desert society.

Since Saudi Arabia launched its war on Yemen in March 2015, at least 212 civilians have been killed in attacks involving Raytheon’s missiles, according to confirmed news reports.

Booming business

At the same time, the war in Yemen has been very good to Raytheon shareholders. When the war started in March 2015 the company’s stock was selling at $108.44 per share. By June 2018 share price had risen to $210.70, a 94 percent increase in three years.

Washington’s alliance the Saudi monarchy is fuel for the company’s growth engine.

“Can the company, hand on heart, really claim that they have taken all feasible measures to prevent and mitigate the risk of their products being used in further catastrophic air strikes?” writes Amnesty researcher Wilcken. “How can Raytheon be sure that one of its guided bombs is not this very moment heading towards another household in a densely populated residential neighborhood, somewhere in Yemen?”

Raytheon’s corporate communications department did not respond to written questions – by Jefferson Morley

https://www.salon.com/2018/06/27/raytheons-profits-boom-alongside-civilian-deaths-in-yemen_partner/

Comment: One reason why UK, US and France fail to put brakes on Saudi and UAE in #Yemen. They are loyal to their customers.

https://twitter.com/StephenProducer/status/1012118072877113346

cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics

(* B H K)

Aid agencies warn cholera and catastrophe loom in Yemen

As fighting rages for control of the key port of Hodeidah, there are fears that the harbor will be closed, cutting off vital supplies to millions

Imports of fuel oil through Hodeidah and neighboring Saleef – also controlled by the Houthis – are vital for electricity generation.

“Hospitals are reliant on fuel brought in through these ports to power their generators,” said Kristine Beckerle, Yemen and UAE researcher for Human Rights Watch. “No fuel means no incubators, no life support systems, no power for anything. Half the country’s health care facilities are already non-functional.”

In addition, without fuel, water pumps also grind to a halt, with many Yemenis reliant on deep wells for their supplies, now that warfare has destroyed much of the mains system.

“Cholera is a very simple disease,” added Mooij. “To combat it, you just need clean water and basic hygiene. If there’s no access to clean drinking water, though, then we will have another cholera epidemic – it’s that straightforward.”

Yemen suffered what aid agency Oxfam described as the worst cholera epidemic since records began, back in 2016-2017.

http://www.atimes.com/article/aid-agencies-warn-cholera-and-catastrophe-loom-in-yemen/

cp1b1 Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah: Deutsch/ Most important: Hodeidah battle: German

(* A H K)

Film: Flüchtlinge in Jemen

Verfügbar bis 27.06.2019 | Quelle: WDR

Hodeida wurde zum Symbol für den Bürgerkrieg im Jemen. Die Hafensstadt ist in Hand der Huthi-Rebellen. Vielen sind in die Hauptstadt Sanaa geflohen. Tausende sind hier gestrandet und in verzweifelter Lage.

http://mediathek.daserste.de/Morgenmagazin/Fl%C3%BCchtlinge-in-Jemen/Video?bcastId=435054&documentId=53460632

cp1b2 Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah: Englisch / Most important: Hodeidah battle: English

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

Siehe cp7 (UN-geführte Verhandlungen über Hodeidah) / Look at cp7 (UN meditiation)

Siehe cp16 (Luftangriffe) / Look at cp16 (air raids)

(* A K pS)

Yemen forces liberate areas south of Hodeidah

More than 15 civilians killed when Houthi fighters attacked neighbourhood near airport

Yemeni forces on Wednesday recaptured Houthi-held pockets in Al Faza, south of the port city of Hodeidah.

"Twenty two of the Houthi elements were killed while 20 were arrested in the offensive launched by troops affiliated with Al-Amalikah's 4th Brigade and Al Hodeidah's First Brigade," Colonel Yehya Al Wahish of the Hodeidah 1st Brigade told The National.

"This operation aims to secure the Southern areas in Al-Hodeidah before releasing a wider military operation to complete liberating the ports and the city center of Al-Hodeidah which are still under control of the Houthi militia" said colonel Al Wahish.

More than 15 civilians were killed when Houthi fighters attacked Al Rasaba neighbourhood near Hodeidah airport on Wednesday.

https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/yemen-forces-liberate-areas-south-of-hodeidah-1.744970

(A K)

Saudi led coalition planes dropped leaflets over the city of #Hodeidah in western #Yemen warning ppl not 2 travel 2 #Hodeidah except in a necessary situation.

But they forget that there is 600k ppl still living in the city till now and they are threatening to be killed by bombs. (photo)

https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/1012081829699096578

(* B H K)

Film: Hodeidah port in #Yemen was Completely destroyed by US-Saudi airstrikes;completely disable #CoalitionCrimesInHodeidah

https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/1012053516779753478

(A K P)

Houthi Hashtag #CoalitionCrimesInHodeidah for twitter

https://sites.google.com/site/ansarallahmc/hodeidahcrimes

(A K)

A military offensive in #Hodiedah is looming,, after the government response to the UN envoy proposal that a full Houthi withdrawal from #Hodiedah city and port is the only way out avert a military action. The Houthis will never accept to leave the city.

https://twitter.com/mohammedalqadhi/status/1011974217301200901

(A K)

Al Houthi forces counterattacked Emirati-backed Yemeni forces in southern al Hudaydah governorate on June 26 and 27, cutting a supply line from southern Yemen to al Hudaydah airport. Al Houthi forces seized the al Jah and al Fazah areas, located along the main coastal road in southern al Hudaydah, from forces led by Tariq Saleh. Over 1,250 Emirati-backed troops in al Hudaydah airport were cut off from supplies because of the counterattack, according to an Emirati-backed commander. Tariq’s National Resistance Forces claimed to recapture the al Fazah area on June 27.

Referring to “Houthis besieging the Giants forces at Hodeidah airport,” Aden al Ghad, June 27, http://www.adengd.net/news/324608/. “Tarek Saleh’s force regain control of the area south of Hodeidah vase,” Al Masdar Online, June 26, http://almasdaronline.com/article/99827; and “Report: Army archives great victories against Saudi-paid mercenaries in combat fronts,” Saba Net, June 18, 2018, https://www.sabanews.net/en/news499379.htm.

https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-june-27-2018

(* A K pS)

A Houthi bomb kills 7 civilians in Hodeida city

Seven civilians killed and others injured by a Houthi missile in Hodeida city west Yemen.

A local source said to almasdaronline a bomb launched by Houthis toward the airport which controlled by government forces, fall on the residential “Jaabali” precinct near the airport.

He added the bomb penetrated one of the walls and killed 7 civilians were chewing Qat.

http://almasdaronline.com/article/99857 and photos: https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1012061048831168512

(A K pS)

22 Houthis killed, 18 caught in confrontations with joint Yemeni resistance forces

With the support of the Saudi-led Arab Coalition, the Yemeni resistance forces launched a military attack against the positions of the Iranian-backed Houthi militias at the outskirts of Al Faza, south of Tahita District, that witness desperate infiltrations attempt by the militia elements.

The offensive was carried out with the ultimate objective of rolling back the militias' remaining elements stationed in south of Hodeidah and its port, on the Yemen's Red Sea Cost, in preparation for the liberation of the city and its port.

The joint Yemeni resistance forces, supported by the jet fighters and artillery of the Arab Coalition, took the militias with surprise and launched a large scale attack against its positions on Hodeidah front from different sides, killing 22 and capturing18 of the crumbling Houthi militias elements.

http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302696459

Remark: As claimed by Emirati news agency. This fighting occurred in region southern to Hodeidah city.

(* B K P)

In Yemen, U.S. could be complicit in disaster — or key to solution

The state of play: The coalition has advanced up the Red Sea coast towards Hodeida and claims to control the city’s airport; the Houthis deny the claim and are mounting resistance. Both sides insist they are willing to strike a deal but disagree on what it should entail. The Houthis have offered to hand over port operations to the UN — though not to surrender the city. The coalition has called for a complete Houthi withdrawal from Hodeida.

What's next: Averting further bloodshed will require compromise, and the U.S. is best placed to push Saudi Arabia and the UAE to freeze their assault and give the UN a chance. If it fails to do so, it would be seen as complicit in the humanitarian fallout of coalition actions and its allies will suffer reputational damage from a deadly, drawn-out conflict.

The bottom line: The U.S. has an opportunity to use the goodwill and influence it has built with Abu Dhabi and Riyadh to push for a UN–mediated deal. For its part, Congress could signal that U.S. support will be hard to sustain if Gulf allies ignore pleas for restraint.

https://www.axios.com/in-yemen-us-could-be-complicit-in-a-disaster-or-key-to-a-solution-1530038737-d6d840f1-e236-4d26-9976-c0a2d1389e48.html

My comment: The US will not do this; they just will support the Saudi coalition and let it do what it wants.

Comment: Different reading key: The war on #Yemen will be over when the #US says so.
It is worth reminding that without US support the war (aggression) would have never developed into what it is now

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1796750643711291

(* B K P)

The New Front in Yemen: What's at Stake in Hodeidah

Today, all sides are digging in for what could be the most intensive battle of the war to date. After spending the last year making their way up the Red Sea coast, forces backed by the UAE, Saudi Arabia’s main coalition ally claim that they have seized Hodeidah airport, which lies on the outskirts of the city. What comes next will likely shift the direction of the war. An all-out battle could upend the balance of power on the ground and profoundly affect any future political settlement. This outcome is particularly attractive to the UAE, which sees the campaign as an opportunity to gain the upper hand in Yemen. But for Yemeni civilians the outlook is grim. Unless the UN can broker a deal between the Houthis and the coalition before the fighting begins in earnest, it is the poorest Yemenis who will pay the greatest price.

LONG TIME COMING

Although observers often focus on Saudi Arabia, the UAE is driving – by Peter Salisbury (subscribers only; free one a month)

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/middle-east/2018-06-27/new-front-yemen

(* A H K)

As fighting edges closer to Hodeidah, the biggest losers are Yemeni civilians

CNN has obtained footage from the frontline fight for the port city of Hodeidah, perhaps the most important and deadly chapter in the war yet.

The biggest losers, though, remain ordinary Yemenis -- 20 million of whom rely on aid shipments that come mostly through the port. Hodeidah is the point of entry for around 70% of the country's food imports and foreign aid.

This is why the fight for the port city is viewed as such an existential moment in Yemen's largely unseen war.

Gulf-backed fighters showed a cameraman working for CNN the external reaches of the city's airport, a matter of hours after they claimed to have retaken it from the Houthis. It shows an outside building in severe disrepair and the roads around this vital piece of infrastructure almost deserted.

The footage also shows dozens of US-designed armored vehicles that appear to be used by troops from the United Arab Emirates who, with their Saudi allies, are providing the military might for the anti-Houthi offensive.

The footage also shows the beginning of what the UN has warned could become another ghastly chapter in what is already the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Hodeidah residents told CNN's cameraman that they fled for two days over mountains and valleys to make the normal two-hour journey to safety outside of the city limits. Mines and explosions dogged their every move, and they now sit in dusty makeshift housing, sharing the minimal food they have among dozens of hungry young mouths.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/27/middleeast/yemen-hodeidah-port-intl/index.html

(* A H K P)

Ein Massaker ist eine „Schlacht“ und jede Opposition sind „Huthis“ – Pressemitteilungen des saudischen Kabinetts werden in bundesdeutschen Medien als Journalismus ausgegeben

[Auswahl von Artikeln zu Hodeidah mit längeren Zitaten, kurzer Zusammenfassung, Verlinkung]

http://www.labournet.de/internationales/jemen/politik-jemen/ein-massaker-ist-eine-schlacht-und-jede-opposition-sind-huthis-pressemitteilungen-des-saudischen-kabinetts-werden-in-bundesdeutschen-medien-als-journalismus-ausge/

(* A K pS)

Army prepares three brigades to liberate Hodeidah

Yemen's army has prepared three new brigades to prosecute the liberation of the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

Military sources told the Emirati al-Bayan daily that the Giants Brigades have set up three new brigades with all the needed equipment and training to take the rest of Hodeidah from the grip of the Houthi rebel militia.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-19606

(** A H K)

Yemenis in Hodeidah cool under pressure, despite approaching storm

It's business as usual in the embattled Red Sea city, though many are eyeing an exit if fighting arrives to their neighbourhoods

The sounds of air strikes, explosions and artillery have moved closer and closer towards Hodeidah city in recent days.

Residents of Hodeidah’s outskirts, which have witnessed intense battles as pro-Yemeni government forces close in, have already fled their houses towards the city and other provinces.

In the city itself, however, most residents have not yet fled, choosing to stay put in the belief that the war is still far from their city.

Abdul Hakim Ahmed, a resident of Shamsan Street in central Hodeidah city, told Middle East Eye that the sounds of the battles have been heard there for more than a week.

He said residents have prepared themselves to flee at any moment, but they are not sure that the war will target the city, so they have not yet fled.

"I am working in a lumber shop and if I do not work I will not get money,” Ahmed said.

“So I have put my valuables in bags and if the war targets the city, I will immediately flee towards Sanaa."

"Regular life is going on normally in the city and people buy wood as usual,” he added.

“So I can say that the battles in the outskirts of Hodeidah have not affected the city so much yet."

According to Ahmed, since then Hodeidah’s residents have seen no evidence that the battle is rapidly approaching, assuaging their worries for now.

"Two weeks ago, the residents were very concerned about the battles. But today they are not as worried as before, because they have noticed that the war is moving slowly and there is no danger to residents," he said.

The Yemeni forces fighting for President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Saudi-led coalition backing them have said that landmines and Houthi snipers are the main reasons behind the slowing advance.

And thanks to the holdup, life inside the city runs at a normal pace, with shops and markets open, offering business as usual.

Gangs of thieves

For Hodeidah resident Mazen al-Qershi, 37, the real worry isn’t the fighting. He said he feels no fear, even with the sounds of war edging closer.

"Not all houses are caught up in battles. Usually airstrikes destroy some of them, so I prepared the basement of our building to live inside it if the fighting arrives at our neighbourhood," Qershi told MEE.

Instead, Qershi fears gangs of thieves that he says are bound to spring up as people flee the city and security breaks down.

But with news spreading of the measures being taken in Sanaa to receive those fleeing Hodeidah, more of the Red Sea city’s residents will see leaving as their best option.

Ahmed, the Hodeidah resident, certainly sees the draw with Operation Golden Victory closing in:

"If the war arrives to the city, I will flee towards Sanaa, where there are some philanthropists and associations that receive displaced people and help them."

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/yemenis-stay-put-hodeidah-despite-approaching-storm-1922882730

(* A H K P)

Film: Aid groups pleading for a ceasefire in Yemen's Hudaida

The UN's special envoy to Yemen is continuing his shuttle diplomacy, trying to end the fight for control of the port city of Hudaida.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/aid-groups-pleading-ceasefire-yemens-hudaida-180627074331506.html

Remark: Already outdated when reporting on Griffith’s mission.

(* A H K)

Médecins Sans Frontières: Yemen: “Our concern is that fighting could turn Hodeidah into a besieged city”

It is very difficult to assess the situation as we don’t have MSF staff inside Hodeidah yet, but medical staff we work with have reported airstrikes and shelling inside the city, and people have started stockpiling food and fuel.

“Ansar Allah forces have been very active in Hodeidah, digging trenches and building barricades, deploying troops near civilian areas, such as residential zones, hospitals and hotels, which is very worrying. Hodeidah’s water system has been affected by these excavations, and water shortages are being reported by residents. Electricity has been out for years, and people are using generators when they can afford them.

“It is difficult to estimate how many people fled the city so far. Inside Hodeidah, movements of population have been observed from the south of the city to the north. Some displaced families have moved further to neighbouring Dhamar and Ibb governorates, and to the capital Sana’a, where they can rent houses or stay with relatives. Since the war began in March 2015, the average price of fuel has more than doubled, so fleeing the city can cost families a lot of money.”

What is MSF doing in the area?

“MSF teams are helping hospitals to treat war-wounded in Hodeidah city, Mocha city and Far Al Udayn district, providing medical supplies and training to medical staff. In Hodeidah, MSF has sent medical equipment to Al Thawrah hospital, the main hospital in the governorate and where 80 percent of Hodeidah residents are being treated. We are also going to set up a field hospital near Mocha, 180 km south of Hodeidah. People we are working with have reported between 30 to 60 wounded people arriving every day at Mocha hospital from the frontlines. Sixty percent of them are emergencies.

https://www.msf.ie/article/yemen-what-current-situation-hodeidah = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-our-concern-fighting-could-turn-hodeidah-besieged-city

and what Saudi propaganda makes out of this: https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1313286/doctors-without-borders-tunnels-besiege-civilians-hodeidah

(* B K P)

A Political and Strategic Researcher to Sky News: Al-Hodeida Airport Battel is the Start for a More Inclusive Operation to Liberate Al-Hodeida

the battel of Al-Hodeida airport and its parameter and what was controlled and taken by force from Al-Houthis is just the beginning of the more inclusive battel for restoring Al-Hodeida as a whole, reaching its main port and then advancing to the rest of Tehama coast. I think there are several scenarios prepared by joint commandership of Al-Hodeida operations to liberate Al-Hodeida suddenly, just as happened in the airport.

internal factors and public resentment of Al-Houthi militias in Al-Hodeida and Tehama region is deeply rooted as it started with Al-Houthis’ ancestors “Imams” who abused this vast area turning it into their feudalist lands. Therefore, Tehama citizens are eager to be free of this militia that represents an extension of Imams regimen under which they suffered a lot. This led many to join Tehama resistance. Public resentment of this militias and not to cooperate with it is normal. This is why the militia uses its power to force people to agree on using their homes, buildings and commercial facilities as artillery and tank stations.

http://en.smanews.org/a-political-and-strategic-researcher-to-sky-news-al-hodeida-airport-battel-is-the-start-for-a-more-inclusive-operation-to-liberate-al-hodeida

Remark: By an anti-Houthi southern pro-separatist “researcher”.

(* A H K P)

Dozens killed near Yemen's Hodeida as UAE demands rebel pullout

[Overview]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5887961/Dozens-killed-near-Yemens-Hodeida-UAE-demands-rebel-pullout.html

(* A H K pS)

Houthis prevent Hodeida Families from displacing toward Aden through Taiz

Houthis militia prevented the displaced families coming from Hodeida (west Yemen) from entering Taiz city or passing through to Aden city.

Sources said to almasdaronline Houthis is detaining 40 buses of displaced families since Sunday evening near their headquarter and “Thalaya “ police station at Al Hoban northeast Taiz.

The sources added Houthis preventing families from entering or passing through the city.

Other sources also said Houthis militia is detaining buses of displaced families at Mawiah cross and Alraheeda and prevent them from getting to Aden and some of them directed to Ibb.

Houthis giving some excuses for preventing civilians that those roads are planted with landmines.

http://almasdaronline.com/article/99813

(A K pS)

Houthis ban Hodeidah civilians from displacement

Houthis have prevented hundreds of civilians in the western Yemen city of Hodeidah from moving to the government-held outskirts as the army and the rebels are expected to engage in a showdown over the vital port city.

Eyewitnesses told al-Sharq al-Awsat daily that the Houthi gunmen, prevented civilians from moving to government-held parts of the province for the second day in a row.

Local people said the Islamist rebels want to entrap civilians to use them as human shields.

The Arab-backed Yemeni army is preparing for a showdown with the militants

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-19605

My comment: The last sentence quoted here reveals the source of all the misery at Hodeidah and the reason for the Houthis’ panicking and relentless behavior.

(* A K pS)

Houthis cut water and electricity to Hodeidah residents

Iran-backed rebels dig trenches in civilian neighbourhoods as they battle Yemeni government forces

Houthi rebels have cut power and water supplies to neighbourhoods across the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, residents said on Tuesday.

Rebels dug positions in neighbourhoods in preparation for battle against Yemeni government forces who are backed by the Arab Coalition that includes Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

One resident, Wahba Eissa, said the Houthis’ trenches cut water mains and the rebels refused to fix the damage they have caused.

“We hardly get water. We sometimes go to the mosque to fill up containers with water and bring them home,” she told The National.

“We have no solution. Houthis keep digging and damaging pipes and then enjoy watching us struggle to get some water.

“They call us to take to the streets to protest against the coalition, but they cannot persuade us to do so. We know very well who our enemy is.”

Ali Dahel, who lives on University Street, said that Houthis cut off water and power supplies there.

“The power went out on Monday,” he said. “They are punishing us for refusing to demonstrate against the Arab Coalition. Most residents refused to protest.”

The rebels have been threatening store owners who kept their shops open, which, shopkeeper Mohammed Shawa said, meant cutting off food supplies.

“They started digging trenches near my store, and it drove me crazy because my shop will become a target,” he said.

“I begged them not to do so, but they brazenly told me to leave my shop because they will not let me open for business anyway. It’s a war zone, they said.

“In order to persuade them to leave, I offered to pay them. The idea of paying them pleased them … so I gave them a large sum of money and they moved along to open near another shop.”

https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/houthis-cut-water-and-electricity-to-hodeidah-residents-1.744378

My comment: By Emirati news site. It is biased anti-Houthi, well the Houthis behave this relentless way not to suppress the people of Hodeidah but because of the looming UAE assault into the city. ­ And the achievements of the UAE and its allies on the ground can be seen at Aden: https://twitter.com/NajTV/status/1011561555006238720

Comment: Hmmm. You can tell this is written by a member of the Saudi led coalition. Each side spreads so many stories to suit their own political agenda.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156795527053641

(A H K)

Photos: Have you ever been in this situation? Being forced to get out from your house to the middle of no where? You never think this is gonna happen to you?

https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/1011458839047213056

(A K)

UN: Electricity is unavailable in most areas of #Hodeidah and water shortages are reported due to recent damage to supply pipes. Sanitation problems are also reported in some IDP sites, which could trigger a cholera outbreak. Fighting has decreased but situation is volatile.

https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1011364919911084032

(** B K P)

Battle at Hudaydah: How Saudi Arabia Is Trying to Cut off Houthi Rebels' Maritime Supply Lines

The Saudis accuse the Houthis of beings Iranian proxies, and sees Yemen as a battleground in a wider conflict with Tehran for control of the Middle East. There is no doubt that Iran and the Houthis share an affinity due to shared religious and anti-Western ideology, and that Tehran has provided some political and material support to the rebels. However, most regional experts maintain the Houthis are fundamentally local actors first and foremost, and evidence of major weapons transfers beyond small arms smuggling is scant.

The United States and Europe are also heavily involved in the civil war, proclamations of neutrality to the contrary.

Hudaydah’s port is the maritime artery through which 70 percent of the humanitarian aid keeping Yemenis fed and treated flows. Houthi forces control the port city of six hundred thousand however, and the UAE claims the rebels collect $40 million in monthly revenues. Back in 2015, Saudi air strikes destroyed the port’s four huge cranes, and in 2017 coalition ships temporarily blockaded the city, cutting off the vital humanitarian lifeline—claiming Iran was running weapons through the port.

Hudaydah also sits at a vital strategic juncture, with an eastward highway leading directly to the Yemeni capital of Sana’a, only ninety miles away. Also nearby are the fertile croplands of the Tihama Plain, and a critical oil terminal to the north. If pro-Hadi forces capture the port, they could be in a position to cut off supplies to the Houthi-controlled interior of Yemen.

However, the coalition’s supply lines run through a slender strip of coastal land which is exposed to Houthi raids and ambushes.

The coalition’s supply lines run through a slender strip of coastal land which is exposed to Houthi raids and ambushes. On June 16, the rebels released a video showing an ambush in which anti-tank missiles and trunk-mounted automatic cannons blast a UAE convoy.

The fate of Hudaydah itself remains uncertain. Will there be a costly and protracted siege—one which would likely involve heavy civilian casualties, disrupt aid shipments, and possibly damage the port facilities? Or will military pressure or a negotiated agreement cause the Houthi to relinquish the port?

In the longer term, there is also the question of whether humanitarian aid will continue to flow from Hudaydah to the Houthi-controlled interior of Yemen, as the Saudi-led coalition claims will be the case, or whether the pro-Hadi forces seek to cut off access in an effort to starve the rebel-held cities into submission. The potential for humanitarian catastrophe is evident, but not inevitable depending on the choices made by various parties in the conflict – by Sébastien Roblin

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/battle-hudaydah-how-saudi-arabia-trying-cutoff-houthi-rebels-26380?page=show

(** B K P)

Hodeida Is Not a Yemeni Affair

But in addition to the horrendous impact of the military assault on the city, what is feared is that the battle for Hodeida is being fought for another purpose—to implement full Saudi Arabian-Emirati control of Yemen.

The fight over Hodeida would best be considered as an effort to improve Saudi and Emirati field positions ahead of future negotiations.

Hodeida has emerged as a focal point in the Saudi-led coalition's maneuvering to strengthen its hand vis-à-vis Ansarullah and subsequently to pave the way for a victory in Yemen. Hodeida is a significant hub for the Houthis and is two-hundred-and-thirty kilometers west of the capital Sanaa.

Thus, controlling Hodeida means displacing the Houthis from a strategic position along the western coast, using the city as a major base of operations, and helping to end the missile threat to Saudi territory and population centers.

Second, controlling Hodeida will further help the overall military situation concerning critical strategic points such as Sanaa, Taiz in the center of the country, and Houthi strongholds in the north.

On the other hand, controlling Hodeida may have some unwarranted implications for Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Controlling the city and its facilities would by default make them entirely responsible for the distribution of massive amounts of aid to at least 8 million Yemenis and others at risk of starvation. They would presumably no longer be able to accuse the Houthis of perpetuating the humanitarian crisis in the country because of their mismanagement of international humanitarian assistance. But due to typical combat situations, no matter how organized the distribution effort would be no one can be sure that it will be executed properly. Besides, the ongoing humanitarian disaster in the country is as much the responsibility of the Saudi-led coalition as it is that of the Houthis, and claiming that occupying Hodeida will change that may be wishful thinking. Whatever the developments regarding Hodeida, Saudi Arabia and the UAE continue to be ambiguous about what they want to do in Yemen besides containing the Houthis, whom they consider to be Iran’s agents.

With Hodeida in the hands of the UAE and UAE-supported troops, it is not hard to see how the Saudi-Emirati Coordination Council will have effective control of Yemen. This will make the mission of the United Nations' Griffiths even harder because it envisions an equal role for all of Yemen's factions in the overall political deal to end the country's war—including the Houthis. But if the Saudi-Emirati control over Yemen's decision-making becomes a reality, it is unlikely that the proposed plan will have a chance.

The Saudi-Emirati takeover of Hodeida and the undoing of Houthi control over Yemen are welcome steps in Trump’s declared agenda to limit Iran’s influence around the region. In fact, it is evident that the administration’s only hindrance to approving Saudi-Emirati war aims in Yemen comes from domestic considerations, in the form of congressional pressure. Unfortunately, such pressure has not been able to change the way the United States deals with the devastating war in Yemen, which has caused immeasurable human suffering and tragedy – by Imad K. Harb, Director of Research and Analysis at Arab Center in Washington, DC.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/hodeida-not-yemeni-affair-26405?page=show

(** B K P)

Amid a brutal stalemate in Yemen, the United Nations must act

Saudi Arabia and its allies have a seemingly overwhelming military advantage over their Houthi enemies in Yemen. Despite this advantage, the Saudi-led coalition has been unable to force the Houthis to the bargaining table. Their strategy in the ongoing battle for Hodeidah seeks, desperately, to change the equation.

The Houthis are a militia with no air force or navy. Their ground forces are equipped with small arms, primarily.

The imbalance in power between the two sides is overwhelming. But the war is now almost three-and-a-half years old—and the Houthis still control Yemen’s capital Sanaa, and a majority of Yemenis live in the area under their control.

The coalition’s attempt to seize the crucial port of Hodeidah, called Operation Golden Victory, is intended to break the stalemate.

The coalition hopes that if it takes the port out of Houthi hands, either into its own control or over to a United Nations neutral authority, the rebels will come to a negotiated settlement of the war.

For the Saudis, that means a settlement based on United Nations Security Council resolution 2216, which means restoring the government led by President Abdo Mansour Hadi to power in Sanaa. The Houthis would need to withdraw, handing over heavy weapons. The Hadi government has little support in Yemen, even in the areas controlled by the coalition. The Security Council rejected a Swedish proposal this month for a simple ceasefire resolution and tilted again in favor of the Saudi position. The U.N. has imposed an arms embargo on the Houthis, but none on the coalition.

The U.N. needs to replace UNSCR 2216 with a more balanced resolution to set the stage for political reconciliation. It should hold all the parties accountable for their actions, not just the Houthis. The Houthis are intransigent and their missile attacks are dangerous threats to civilians, but they are not the only party nor the primary party guilty of war crimes.

The coalition wants to avoid a house-by-house battle for control of the city, which would be disastrous for humanitarian assistance and catastrophic for the half-million residents. The Zaydi Shiite Houthis are probably less concerned about the fate of the mostly Sunni city. A siege of the city will be a public relations disaster for the Saudis and Emiratis.

The war is the signature foreign policy initiative of King Salman and his son Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman. The crown prince has blemished his reputation by the reckless decision to intervene in Yemen and the humanitarian catastrophe it created. His important but still modest social reforms at home, like letting women drive, should be compared to the enormous cost of the Yemeni disaster – by Bruce Riedel

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2018/06/25/amid-a-brutal-stalemate-in-yemen-the-united-nations-must-act/

My comment: Riedel repeats the Iran and Hezbollah connections here, which are odd propaganda. Otherwise, this is a serious article – and he is totally right when vlaiming that UNSCR 2216 is biased and must be replaced.

(A P)

In the context of their efforts to isolate the province, the #Houthis have directed Mobile Phone Companies to shut off internet access in #Hodeidah districts.

https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1011254460453212163

Remark: As claimed by anti-Houthitwitter account.

(A H K)

Film: I was in #Hodeidah #Hodeida port west #Yemen yesterday

Just imagine the only port that serve more than 17 millions people is empty! And now is under threats.

https://twitter.com/HussainBukhaiti/status/1011206825126047745

(A K pH)

Film, photos: This is a #US made International MaxxPro MRAP armoured vehicle used by #UAE backed forces S #Hodeidah #Hodeida coastline #USA made weapons threats last humanitarian lifeline for millions of #Yemen-i people

https://twitter.com/HussainBukhaiti/status/1011298190010839040

https://twitter.com/HussainBukhaiti/status/1011315631189299201

(* A H K)

WHO Al Hudaydah Operation - Yemen: Situation Report #1, 17 - 23 June 2018

Fighting continues in Al Hudaydah City, at a less severe scale, with a decrease in clashes, bombardments and airstrikes. Casualties were reported but actual numbers are unknown.

Based on reports received by the WHO Hub office in Al Hudaydah City, a total of 149 injuries and 15 deaths have been reported, it is likely that casualties and those injured are underreported.

IDPs from Al Hudaydah City have arrived in the capital, Sana’a. Total figures on displacement are not available yet as humanitarian organizations are verifying the IDPs and setting up monitoring systems.

Humanitarian partners have ramped up rapid response activities amid security and access constraints.

The Al Hudaydah and Saleef ports remain operational.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/who-al-hudaydah-operation-yemen-situation-report-1-17-23-june-2018

(* A K)

In Yemen’s Hodeidah, Houthis dig in for protracted street fighting

Snipers nests, trenches and roadblocks are appearing across the key Yemeni port city, as pro-government forces close in.

The airport is lost, pro-Yemeni government forces are advancing up towards the port and warplanes bombard their positions – yet the Houthi rebels defending Hodeidah show no signs of relinquishing control of the strategic city.

Instead the rebels are digging in, carving out trenches to shield themselves from bombardment and placing snipers at the top of the city’s highest buildings.

Meanwhile roadblocks have been set up on the roads heading into Hodeidah and mines are being scattered across the city’s outskirts, which the Houthis hope will delay the enemy’s advance, but also risks trapping civilians in the fray.

It is a situation that points towards one thing – Hodeidah is likely to be the scene of pitched street battles, a scenario dreaded by the city’s residents and international aid groups.

Preparing for the worst

According to Farouq, a resident of Hodeidah who wished to be identified by his first name only for security reasons, the Houthis have closed all roads that lead from the city to the airport and surrounding areas.

He said the Houthis have spread out from the checkpoints they once manned in the city to the areas between Hodeidah and its airport, which was captured by the Saudi-led coalition forces backing the Yemeni government on Wednesday.

"They closed the roads that lead to the surrounding areas of the airport, so people of those areas can leave their houses but cannot return," Farouq told Middle East Eye.

"The Houthis have dug trenches, set up barricades, closed the roads. Many checkpoints are spread down the road towards the airport, and there are some snipers spread in high buildings in peaceful areas," he said.

"The Houthis are preparing for a street war, and that is why we see them prepare for the battle in the peaceful areas beyond the airport."

Fadhl al-Robie, the head of Madar Strategic Studies Center, a think tank based in Aden, believes that the Houthis will exert all efforts to stop the pro-Hadi forces from taking it.

"Hodeidah seaport is the main port for the Houthis and they are not willing to withdraw peacefully, so they will resort to any kind of fighting to defend Hodeidah, even street battles," he told MEE.

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/yemen-s-hodeidah-houthis-dig-protracted-street-fighting-1450540011

(A K pS)

Injured Soldiers of the West Coast in Aden Hospitals Thank Arab Coalition Commandership for Caring for them

Injured soldiers of the west coast front being treated in Aden hospitals thanked Arab Coalition Commandership, represented in Abd Al-Rahman Abu Zaraa Al-Mahramy, commander general of the west coast front, and appreciated their efforts in coordinating and supervising their treatment in best hospital inside the country or abroad, at the expense of Arab Coalition countries.

They added that they are having sufficient medication in addition to continuous follow-ups for their conditions since being injured in battel fronts till they are dismissed from hospitals.

http://en.smanews.org/injured-soldiers-of-the-west-coast-in-aden-hospitals-thank-arab-coalition-commandership-for-caring-for-them

(* A K P)

Audio: 6/20/18 Nasser Arrabyee on the Latest in the War in Yemen

Nasser Arrabyee rejoins the show to discuss the latest developments in the Saudi-U.S. war in Yemen. UAE and Saudi forces have continued to bomb Hodeidah because of its strategic importance to the Houthis. Arrabyee explains that the attackers continue to underestimate the Houthis, and that fighting a guerrilla war against the civilians of Hodeidah won’t be easy.

https://libertarianinstitute.org/6-20-18-nasser-arrabyee-on-the-latest-in-the-war-in-yemen/

cp2 Allgemein / General

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

(B K P)

Aggressors at peak of weakness in full-scale war against Yemen

The Emiratis and Saudis carried out the attacks in Yemen with the help of American, British and French armies, and British and American military officers were in the command room for these air strikes, Guardian added.

In fact, the Saudi coalition has not been able to achieve its goals in Yemen over the past three years and is now in such a weak position that it can't undertake any negotiation. Under the current circumstances, Al-Hudaydah has been chosen as a fait-determining battlefield. This is due to a number of reasons: firstly, the coastal area of Al-Hudaydah is an open plain, and unlike the northern provinces of Yemen, it's not mountainous and thus hard to attack. That's why the Saudi coalition believes that using this, it can easily occupy the Al-Hudaydah. On the other hand, all operations have failed to reach the city of Sanaa last year, and Saudi Arabia is trying to open another front to reach Sanaa. Another important point is that the Saudi coalition needs a periodic and limited victory for the persuasion of its soldiers.

https://en.mehrnews.com/news/135172/Aggressors-at-peak-of-weakness-in-full-scale-war-against-Yemen

Remark: An Iranian viewpoint

(* B K P)

America: A Force for Barbarity, Not Good in the World

If you want to understand what a truly barbaric, monstrous system America is, look at what it’s done—and is doing—to the 28 million people of this impoverished Middle Eastern country. After creating the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, it’s now threatening Yemen’s meager flow of humanitarian aid and deliberately flirting with mass slaughter through famine and disease. Closing Al Hudaydah’s port “means that you’re cutting the last artery to Yemen,” said one aid worker. For over three years, behind the scenes and a veil of lies, the U.S. has been deliberately murdering hundreds of thousands of children and starving millions of oppressed Yemeni people. They’ve done so by providing the monarchs of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with weapons and planes, fuel and training, hands-on direction and intelligence, Green Berets on the front lines, and the political and propaganda support to wage war on the people of Yemen.

This is a war of mass slaughter, mass starvation, and mass disease—waged by blockading food and medicine, destroying the country’s health, water, and power systems—war crimes that have targeted the country’s means for sustaining life.

A war waged so the U.S. imperialists can maintain their stranglehold on the Middle East and the world, and so their murderous Saudi and UAE “allies” can maintain their death grip on the Arabian Peninsula.

Doubling Down on Mass Murder and Starvation

America claims it’s not involved, and its clients Saudi Arabia and the UAE claim their hands are clean. They say they want to take Al Hudaydah to insure the flow of humanitarian aid. But if that were true, if the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and the UAE gave a rat’s ass about the welfare of Yemen’s people, then:

Why have the Saudis and the UAE—with a green light from the U.S.—continued their assault (and demand for unconditional surrender) when they have already threatened humanitarian relief and when every humanitarian agency in the world demanded they stop?

Why, according to a new report by Amnesty International (AI), has Saudi Arabia deliberately delayed aid from arriving in Al Hudaydah for weeks at a time, an action AI said constituted the war crime of collective punishment? And why are they holding back a ship with 25,000 tons of wheat now!?

Why have Saudi planes targeted Al Hudaydah’s port during the war, and are on track to do even more damage now?

Why, in the areas Saudi- and UAE-backed forces have controlled for years, do Yemenis still lack basic necessities—food, clean water, healthcare—even though the Saudis and the UAE control the flow of goods into the country?

https://countercurrents.org/2018/06/26/americas-jaws-drip-with-the-blood-of-yemens-children/

(* A K P)

Film: Yemen war: Exchange of prisoners as fighting continues

Houthi rebels have released 40 prisoners during the battle for Hudaida port. In exchange, Saudi-UAE coalition forces supporting Yemen's army have freed 70 Houthi prisoners.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw3pNUP33tY&t=11s = https://eblnews.com/video/yemen-war-exchange-prisoners-fighting-continues-440497

Remark: Earlier reporting YPR 427.

(B K P)

Iran criticizes West for selling arms to invaders while talking about peace in Yemen

Hossein Jaberi Ansari, the Iranian foreign minister’s special assistant for political affairs, said on Monday that Western countries cannot talk about peace in Yemen and at the same time sell billions of dollars of weapons to aggressors.

Jaberi Ansari made the remarks in a meeting with the ambassadors of Italy, Britain, France and German charge d’affaires at the Foreign Ministry.

“One cannot talks about political solution, peace and human rights but simultaneously ink billion dollars agreement with countries participating in the war against Yemen,” the special assistant to the foreign minister remarked.

The United States and certain Western countries including Britain and France are the main arms suppliers to Saudi Arabia and the UAE which are fighting Yemen. However, Germany has stopped the sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia due to human tragedy in Yemen.

http://www.tehrantimes.com/news/424784/Iran-criticizes-West-for-selling-arms-to-invaders-while-talking

Comment: Well I agree. A complete arms embargo so that all sides were deprived of weapons would help find a solution that doesn't involve the destruction of Yemen and the loss of Yemeni lives. https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156795535968641

My comment: Well, the Iranians simply are right here. Anything different would be insane. But exactly this is western logic, not only in Yemen.

(A K P)

Iran says hike in attacks on civilians show Saudis frustration in Yemen

Iran says the hike Saudi Arabia's bombardment of civilian targets in Yemen shows the coalition's frustration in falling short of the goals.

"The increased hike in Saudi Arabia's bombardment of residential areas such as Sa'ada and a refugee bus in Hudaydah shows their frustration in not being able to reach their goals in Yemen," said Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi on Tuesday.

While slamming Saudi Arabia and its allies actions, Qassemi further called UN to halt the kingdom's atrocities in Yemen, especially the killing of women and children.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/06/27/566202/saudi-arabia-yemen-iran

(* A K P)

‘UAE plotting to assassinate leaders of Yemen’s Ansarullah, al-Islah movements’

A captured commander of Saudi-sponsored militiamen loyal to resigned Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi says the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has hatched plots aimed at the assassination of the high-profile figures of Houthi Ansarullah and the Yemeni Congregation for Reform, frequently called al-Islah, in a bid to advance its policies in the Arab country.

Ali al-Azani, in confessions broadcast on Yemen’s Arabic-language al-Masirah television network, said the UAE has set up numerous terror cells in conflict-plagued Yemen, which are led by a militant called Ammar Afash.

Azani went on to say all activities of the outfits are being organized at the al-Safwah Hotel in the western Yemeni coastal city of Hudaydah, located 150 kilometers southwest of the capital Sana'a.

“I was initially on a committee run by Anwar al-Amiri in the southern city of Aden, and then forged an alliance with top-brass militants, including Ayman Hajar and Adnan al-Zuqri, in Hudaydah,” he pointed out.

Azani further noted that Zuqri was the head of assassination squads in Sana'a and the southwestern province of Ta'izz.

“He has recruited a large number of people and tasked them with gunning down leaders of al-Islah and Ansarullah movements. All these would-be assassins have to obey commands being issued by Afash,” the captured militia commander disclosed.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/06/26/566177/UAE-plotting-to-assassinate-leaders-of-Yemens-Ansarullah-alIslah-movements

(* B K P)

Film: Message from Yemen to French President @EmmanuelMacron @MacronInEnglish . On eve of Paris Humanitarian Conference on Yemen. Thank you, France. But, Saudi Arabia is the killer not helper of Yemen.

https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/1011641664040030209

(* B K P)

British expert reveals UK-US roles in backing Saudi-UAE assault on Yemen’s Hodeidah port

Marcus Papadopoulos, a political expert and editor-in-chief of London-based Politics First Magazine, said in an exclusive interview with that the Saudi and United Arab Emirates’ interference in Yemen are similar to plots being implemented by Israel and Turkey against Syria.

“The mind boggles at how UAE (senior official) Anwar Gargash is telling the Yemeni people to stop resisting foreign aggression, which his country is a part of,” Papadopoulos said in the interview.

On Monday, UAE minister of state for foreign affairs Gargash in a press conference in Dubai urged the Yemeni movement Ansarullah to withdraw from Hodeida port city to allow the Saudi Arabia-and-UAE-led occupation coalition forces and their foreign mercenaries to occupy Hodeida air and sea ports.

Papadopoulos, who has been defending Syria and now Yemen against foreign military aggression, said the Emirates has been intervening in Yemen as hostile as Israel and Turkey in Syria.

“We see that in Syria, too, where Israel and Turkey are warning the Syrian Army on how it conducts its operations to liberate Syrian territory,” he said.

“The UAE, Israel and Turkey are only making such statements because they are backed by the US, and when you are backed by the US, you feel emboldened to do almost anything you like and to say almost anything you like after.”

Papadopoulos slammed Britain and US for their involvement in the Saudi-led assault on Hodeida.

http://en.abna24.com/news/interview/british-expert-reveals-uk-us-roles-in-backing-saudi-uae-assault-on-yemen%E2%80%99s-hodeidah-port_899229.html

(* A K P)

Film: Yemen war: Exchange of prisoners as fighting continues

Despite calls for ceasefire, fighting continues as the Saudi-Emirati coalition battles against Houthi rebels for control of the strategic Hudaida port.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/yemen-war-exchange-prisoners-fighting-continues-180626051617159.html = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw3pNUP33tY

(B K)

Photo: Can you distinguish this city?

Can you tell how many people are waiting for electricity to study, to receive treatment, to prepare a meal or to escape the summer heat?

Can you tell how many mothers and fathers lost their children to a war they did not choose?

This city is # Sana'a, # Yemen but non-respect laws # war make all cities of conflict can not be distinguished.

https://twitter.com/ICRC_ar/status/1011274137405444097

(* B K)

Spotlight: At least 8 years needed to clear 1 mln Houthi-laid landmines in Yemen

Yemen's Foreign Minister Khaled Yamani said Monday that it will take at least eight years to clear about 1 million landmines planted by Houthi rebels across the country.

During a press conference held in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh, the newly-appointed foreign minister claimed that the huge number of landmines planted by Houthis caused hundreds of civilian casualties across the country.

Preliminary statistics indicated that the Houthis planted these landmines after seizing many provinces militarily in 2015.

The minister said that the Houthis also laid hundreds of improvised sea mines, threatening the international shipping routes in the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

"Defusing the mines completely needs at least eight years," the Yemeni minister said, adding that "Houthis are violating the international humanitarian law by turning residential areas into fields of landmines and death."

Yamani urged the international community to condemn the activities of the Houthis and stand with the Yemeni people against the rebels.

Meanwhile, a military commander loyal to Yemen's government told Xinhua by phone that the Houthis deliberately laid various kinds of landmines across the farms and around populated areas of Hodeidah province.

He said that the Houthis are using landmines excessively in a desperate attempt to impede and slow the advancing Yemeni government troops in Hodeidah in recent days.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-06/26/c_137280354.htm

(A K P)

Human rights status in Yemen in a seminar at Human rights council Geneva

A seminar held at the Human right council at Geneva to discuss the status of human right in Yemen at the areas under Houthis control.

At the seminar Dr.Yousef Abu Ras the head of the Yemeni coalition to monitor Human rights in Yemen, has reviewed the violation in his report about human rights in Yemen which state the bad record of Yemen regarding Human rights since the old regime decade , he indicated that the coalition is detecting and recording the violations in Yemen and issuing an annual report and other specialized reports.

He added, the violation is documented along with victims interviews or their relatives and eyewitnesses in some cases, and there are some other parties involved besides Houthis in that violation including “Legitimate government, Security belt forces, Shabwani elite forces and Hadrami elite forces, military formations (resistance battalions), terrorist groups (Qaeda) and Drones.

http://almasdaronline.com/article/99807

My comment: This “Yemeni coalition to monitor Human rights in Yemen” is a Hadi government department which hardly cannot be unbiased. The greatest Human Rights violations in Houthi-held areas are the Saudi coalition’s air raids.

(* A H P K)

Government of Saudi Arabia: KSrelief launches comprehensive project to deliver ‘Life Without Landmines’ for the people of Yemen

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) today launches the Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance (MASAM), a program committed to making Yemen landmine-free in order to protect civilians and to safeguard the delivery of urgent humanitarian supplies.

Landmines are a major impediment to social and economic development efforts, exposing citizens to potentially fatal risk for generations to come. There have been more than 600,000 mines planted in the liberated areas by militias; 130 thousand internationally banned sea mines, 40,000 mines in Marib and 16,000 mines in the island of Mayon.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in the manufacture and deployment of landmines by militias causing over 1,539 recorded deaths, injury for over 3,000 and permanent disability to over 900 Yemenis, a majority of whom are women, children and the elderly. Unfortunately, these recorded figures are far less than the actual numbers as the national demining program has not been able to identify and register them. Such hostile action has also resulted in a wide array of other life-threatening crises and security concerns.

At a KSrelief-funded prosthetics center in Marib, Yemen, 305 prosthetic limbs were fitted last year to more than 195 landmine victims. The most affected groups were Yemeni women and children; to date, the center has provided treatment to patients between the ages of 12 and 72.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/ksrelief-launches-comprehensive-project-deliver-life-without-landmines-people-yemen

Remark: And the Saudis make a great propaganda story of it:

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1778957

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1778966

http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/da4fc4e1bdc544ae87b577200475af3d

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1311446/ksrelief-launches-saudi-masam-project-landmine-clearance-yemen

http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/537603/SAUDI-ARABIA/9-million-to-benefit-from-Saudi-project-for-land-mine-clearance-in-Yemen

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1328031/saudi-arabia

(B K P)

Film: UN indifferent toward Yemen's catastrophe: Analyst

An analyst believes the United Nations seems indifferent to the crisis in Yemen, saying it is being “superseded” by the United States to not interfere in the ongoing conflict in the impoverished Arab nation.

“What is going on is really a catastrophe. The only port of entry for humanitarian aid -- Hudaydah -- is being attacked by the Saudis and backed by the Americans and no one seems to care neither about the children who are dying every day in huge numbers because of lack of food and because of lack of medication and … cholera is spreading there and now all the bombardment from the Saudis on … Hudaydah city which resulted in so many casualties, including women and children,” Jalal Fairooz told Press TV in an interview on Monday.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/06/25/566048/Yemen-Saudi-Arabia-US-UN-Hudaydah-airstrike-famine

(A K P)

Iran urges intl. action to halt Saudi offensive in Yemen

Iran has urged the international community to intervene and stop the Saudi war on Yemen, where an ongoing offensive against the Mediterranean port of Hudaydah has put the country on the brink of famine.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi told reporters in Tehran Monday that Iran is in contact with the regional and European governments in order to find a way to send relief aid and other humanitarian assistance to Yemen.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/06/25/566028/Iran-Yemen-United-Nations-Foreign-Ministry-Qassemi-Europe-United-States-International-Court-of-Justice-asset-freeze and also http://www.irna.ir/en/News/82954114

(* B K P)

Saudi Arabia’s Misleading Email to Congress After Bombing of MSF Cholera Hospital

On a recent Wednesday night in June, Saudi Arabia’s embassy emailed members of the U.S. Congress providing them something between a false and misleading account of an air strike that took place in Yemen. Two days earlier, the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia and armed by the United States had reportedly blown up a cholera treatment facility belonging to the international humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). In its email, the Kingdom could not even bring itself to acknowledge that the Coalition carried out the direct attack on the MSF facility. Instead, the Saudis used the passive voice writing that their message concerned a “Cholera Treatment Facility hit in Yemen”—without saying who hit it. The Kingdom’s email highlighted a piece of information meant to let the Coalition off the hook. The email stated, “MSF acknowledged an error they made in not officially informing the Coalition of the new treatment facility’s location,” and the embassy attached a letter that an MSF employee had sent hours after the bombing took place. But by that Wednesday evening, the Saudis knew or should have known that relying on the low-level employee’s letter would be misleading.

This was not the first time for the Saudi-led Coalition to bomb an MSF medical facility in Yemen or to paper over such a dreadful event with falsehoods. With this letter to Congress, however, Saudi public communication efforts reached a new low.

But the Saudis were right about one thing. The low-level MSF employee had stated in his letter, “I would like to explain that there has been an error from our side as we failed to inform you officially of the location of the new site.” But the Saudis made a serious mistake in using the letter. The MSF employee was wrong about his facts, and the Saudi government knew or should have known that. In reality, MSF had notified the Saudi Coalition 12 times of the coordinates of the cholera treatment center. Twelve. For its part, the Coalition had acknowledged these coordinates at least nine times in writing. The Kingdom omitted that information in its email to Congress.

What the Kingdom’s email also did not say is that MSF’s senior leadership had already expressly disavowed the letter from its employee.

In a heated discussion over Twitter, Sen. Chris Murphy exchanged words with the Saudi Embassy about the strike on the MSF facility – by Ryan Goodman

https://www.justsecurity.org/58437/saudis-deceptive-email-congress-bombing-msf-cholera-hospital/

(A K P)

Yemeni Army Captured A Houthi leader and Seven Experts From Lebanese Terrorist Hezbollah in Saada

Yemen's national army forces have captured a senior leader of Al-Houthi Militias, along with seven experts from Lebanese Hezbollah militias in Al-Malahit directorate, south-west of the northern Saada Governorate.
A military source said in a statement to Yemeni Ministry of Defense's website "September Net "that Yemeni army forces carried out a qualitative operation during which they captured the leader of the militias along with 7 military experts from the Militias of terrorist Lebanese Hezbollah, during fierce battles in Al-Malahit front of the Governorate.
In the same context, the commander of the third brigade Oroubah Major General Abdul Karim Al-Sadai said that battles since a week in Jabal al-Ruqi and surrounding areas in Al-Malahit front resulted in killing 220 members of coup militias.

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1778861

My comment: Earlier, they had claimed they had killed 8 Hezbollah militias. – I think no more details will be published, thus giving the impressuion of a propaganda scam.

(B H K)

Audio: Der Krieg im Jemen

Die derzeit größte humanitäre Krise weltweit - so bezeichnet die UNO den Zustand im Jemen. Die Zivilbevölkerung leidet unter den anhaltenden Kämpfen, Hungersnot und Cholera. Dazu ein Gespräch mit einem Kenner des Landes, Achim Vogt von der Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Beirut

https://www.br.de/mediathek/podcast/aktuelle-interviews/krieg-im-jemen/929024

cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

(B H)

Mit "Ärzte ohne Grenzen" im Jemen

Gut vorbereitet und kulturell geschult brach Adams zu ihrem vierten Einsatz mit "Ärzte ohne Grenzen" auf. Für drei Monate arbeitet sie in einem Krankenhaus im Jemen. Adams berichtete unter anderem von Kindern, die häufig unterernährt zur Welt kommen und wie sie diese Kinder aufpäppeln.

Hochmoderne Geräte, die gespendet wurden, konnten vor ihrem Einsatz nicht oder nur in Teilen genutzt werden, weil das Pflegepersonal diese nicht bedienen konnte. Durch Adams können diese Geräte nun umfassend genutzt werden.

Zwei einheimische Ärzte begannen unter ihrer Anleitung die Ausbildung zum Facharzt für Pädiatrie.

https://www.schwarzwaelder-bote.de/inhalt.villingen-schwenningen-mit-aerzte-ohne-grenzen-im-jemen.1656c138-e348-4a1a-bebc-bdd0d9f19414.html

(B H)

Health minister: coalition siege cuts supplies to #Yemen dialysis centers
Minister of Health Taha al-Mutawakil warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in dialysis centers across Yemen caused by the Saudi-led coalition siege on all Yemen’s air, sea and land ports since March 2015.
The coalition military escalation and siege have increased the suffering of dialysis patients in the capital Sanaa and other cities witnessing acute shortage of medical solutions and few operating devices.

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1796855690367453/?type=3

Remark: By Sanaa government.

(* B H)

MONA: YEMEN Under Siege as Millions of Children Suffer Slow, Painful Death by Starvation.

Yemen Organization for Humanitarian Relief and Development (Mona), is a national Independent, non-governmental and non-profitable organization based in Yemen.The organization activities are mainly focused in the field of humanitarian relief. With a single intent and a single goal, an idea was conceived: the idea to somehow go around the current Blockade on Yemen and help those who are displaced by war. With this idea the #20ForYemen project was started on Twitter. In as little as 10 days, Twitter responded to our initial call to action, and we raised $4200. This amount was enough to feed almost 150 families for a month. Mona Relief was on its way to bigger things

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5a5lc55FaU

(B H)

Infographic: ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan 2018 scaling up

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/ecosoc-humanitarian-affairs-segment-yemen-humanitarian-response-plan-2018-scaling

(* A H)

103 patients with renal failure in Al-Mahweet are threatened with death

Appealed to the patients of renal failure in the province of Mahwit concerned bodies and international organizations to intervene urgently to save their lives following the failure of dialysis devices kidney status in the Republican Hospital in the province.

Patients with renal failure confirmed that the lives of more than 103 patients were treated at the laundry center of the Republican Hospital, threatening that intervention would not be provided with new washing machines in an emergency rather than damaged equipment.

The patients explained in a distress call that six out of the total 10 of the center's facilities were completely disrupted and can no longer be maintained. He pointed out that about forty patients were forced to travel to the capital Sana'a to get laundry at their own cost by two sessions per week More than twenty thousand riyals.

http://www.alwahdahnews.net/103-%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B6-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B4%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D9%84%D9%88%D9%8A-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%AA-%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%87%D9%85/

(* B H)

UNICEF: What the battle for Hodeidah means for Yemen's children: 8 things you need to know

Children and families across Yemen depend on humanitarian and commercial goods that come through the port city for their survival.

Yemen is the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.

More than 22 million Yemenis – that’s three-quarters of the population – need humanitarian assistance and protection. More than 11 million of them are children. The conflict has made Yemen a living hell for its children.

The battle for the Red Sea port city Hodeidah endangers the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in the city. Millions more across Yemen depend on the humanitarian and commercial goods that come through the port every day for their very survival.

More than 5,000 families in Hodeidah are estimated to have fled their homes since 1 June to escape the heavy fighting, indiscriminate shelling and airstrikes. Landmines, fighting and insecurity confront civilians fleeing for safety. Casualties include women and children.

Even before the fighting began, conditions in Hodeidah were some of the worst in the country – 25% of children in the city are suffering from acute malnutrition. The city was one of the epicentres of last year’s cholera outbreak, one of the worst in modern history.

Fast facts

The city and surrounds of Hodeidah are one of the most densely populated areas in Yemen. There are around 600,000 people in Hodeidah, including 300,000 children, caught in the fighting.
The United Nations fears that as many as 250,000 people – more than 100,000 children – may lose everything, even their lives, if the current situation escalates.
Hodeidah is the single most important point of entry for the food and basic supplies to Yemen. Close to 70% of the country’s imports, including commercial and humanitarian goods, enter through Hodeidah and Saleef to the north. Suspension of port activities will have a catastrophic humanitarian impact on children across the country.
More than 11 million children in Yemen are already in need of humanitarian assistance.
More than half the health facilities in Yemen are not functioning due to damage or a lack of operating budget and staff. Many health workers have not been paid for over a year.
In 2018, an estimated 1.8 million children are acutely malnourished across the country, including nearly 400,000 severe acutely malnourished children fighting for their lives.
Collapsing water and sanitation systems in Yemen have cut off 8.6 million children from regular access to safe water and sanitation, increasing the risk of diseases spreading.
Nearly 2 million children are out of schoolacross the country. The education of another 4.5 million children is at risk due to teachers not being paid for over a year.

https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/yemen-crisis/hodeidah

(* B H)

Film: Krieg im Jemen: Kaum Lebensmittel für Bevölkerung

http://www.tagesschau.de/multimedia/video/video-418099.html = https://www.msn.com/de-at/video/nachrichten/krieg-im-jemen-kaum-lebensmittel-für-bevölkerung/vi-AAz7MYk

(* B H)

Film: Coming Together For Yemen

An inside look at the impact of the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06iPSEcMJk4

(A H)

Norwegian Refugee Council: Paris Yemen conference must bring cease-fire

The diplomats gathered in Paris on Wednesday for the French humanitarian conference on Yemen, co-hosted by Saudi-Arabia, must bring hope to hundreds of thousands of civilians that risk getting trapped in the crossfire of the escalating offensive in Hodeidah.

"The countries meeting in Paris this week must work to bring an end to the fighting in Yemen where millions of lives are at stake. There is still time to avoid that Hodeidah port, the Rotterdam of Yemen, is destroyed in battle. The main lifeline to Yemen's suffering civilians cannot be allowed to break," said Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

Wednesday's humanitarian conference on the Yemen crisis organised by France is co-hosted by Saudi Arabia, one of the parties to the conflict. It takes place while hundreds of thousands of Yemenis risk being trapped in crossfire as fighting escalates in Hodeidah, one of the most densely populated areas of the country.

NRC calls for a ceasefire, full adherence to assurances that all ports will remain open and fully functioning, re-opening of Sana'a airport and an end to restrictions on humanitarian access in all provinces by all parties to the conflict.

"More and better aid is urgently needed to save lives in Yemen.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/paris-yemen-conference-must-bring-cease-fire

My comment: This conference will be little more than a propaganda scam.

(A H)

Yemeni Authorities, UN Agree on Relief Plan for West Coast

Yemen’s government agreed on Sunday with the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) on implementing a humanitarian plan for Yemen's west coast regions.
Yemeni Minister of Local Administration and chairman of the Higher Committee for Relief in Yemen Abdul Raqeeb Saif Fateh met with WFP representatives and discussed a comprehensive humanitarian aid plan for Mokha, in Taiz province, and which reaches to Hodeidah, reported official Yemeni news agency Saba.
Fateh met WFP officials and discussed the plan in the interim capital Aden.
“Agreement was reached on allocating 70,000 tons of relief and humanitarian materials necessary for all west coast areas for the initial stage,” Saba added.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1311216/yemeni-authorities-un-agree-relief-plan-west-coast

cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees

Siehe / Look at cp1b1, cp1b2

(B H)

East, Horn of Africa and Yemen - Displacement of Somalis: Refugees, asylum-seekers and IDPs, as of 31 May 2018

[256,000 Somali refugees in Yemen]

https://reliefweb.int/map/somalia/east-horn-africa-and-yemen-displacement-somalis-refugees-asylum-seekers-and-idps-31-may

cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis

(A K pS)

The Houthi group has unleashed a campaign to recruit 500 fighters compulsorily from the northern province of Mahweet to deploy them in Yemen's western coastline where the armed forces are poised to liberate the vital port city of Hodeidah.

Local sources said that the local people have warned every village to assign 12 fighters to join the rebels and imposed YR 20,000 on every household that is not willing to part with one of their young men.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-19608

(A P)

A number of Houthi extremists have stormed the house of an old woman, looted her house and killed her in Amran north of Yemen.

Local sources said the Islamist sectarian rebels stormed the house of Ayesha Qasem al-Saqami, looted her house and stabbed her to death because of her different religious denomination as her name indicates.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-19608

(A K P)

The #Houthi militia has kidnapped four people from al-Sawadiah district of al-Bayda province after accusing them of collaborating with the Arab Coalition and sending #GPS Coordinates.

Hundreds of people are behind Houthi bars with similar accusations.

https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1011719152212594691

My comment: If the accusation is justified, “kidnapped” would be propaganda, “detained” would hit it. Keep in mind that those sending GPS coordinates are attracting air raids, bringing destruction and death to their neighbourhood. The same problem of these “spotters” occurred in the war in Eastern Ukraine.

(A P)

UN Organization security assaults locals in Sanaa

Eyewitnesses said that security personnel’s follows the UNDP at Sanaa assaulted today Tuesday civilians were protesting on the front the headquarter at “Wehda” precinct and led to the injury of one of the civilians.

The witnesses said to “Almasdaronline” one of the civilians injured in the head after an assault by one of the UN security and he was taken to a near Hospital.

The civilian at the area organized a protest on the front of the UNDP headquarter against the security violations against them according to a statement we got a copy of.

The statement said soldiers turned the residents of the neighborhood to a hell through their attitude and violations and restraining their freedom.

The violation includes installing cement barricades and dust covers in the streets and narrowing the path, also close the entrances and exits of the area from all directions.

http://almasdaronline.com/article/99824

(A P)

Officials discuss media role in confronting coalition propaganda

Local media officials on Monday held an expanded meeting in Amran province to discuss the role of media institutions in exposing Saudi-led aggression coalition's war crimes and violations in Yemen.

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news499957.htm

(A P)

Media role in confronting aggression coalition discussed in Hodeidah

An expanded meeting of media officials in Hodeidah province on Monday discussed the role of media institutions in exposing Saudi-led aggression coalition's crimes and violations in Yemen.

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news499940.htm

My comment: As response to Saudi / UAE propaganda efforts (YPR 427, cp15).

cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government

(A T)

IED targeting a military official in Aden

A high ranked military official has been injured with two of his escorts today (Wednesday) by an explosion of an Improvised explosive device at Khor Maksar – Aden (South Yemen).

http://almasdaronline.com/article/99852

(A P)

The @YemenEmbassy_DC has absolutely nothing to say about Trump's US travel ban on citizens of #Yemen. Why?

https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1011903334683496449

The President of the Republic of #Yemen@HadiPresident – has nothing to say about @POTUS's US travel ban on Yemenis. Why?

https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1011937454092374016

(A P)

Al-Ba Hasani Denies Rumors About Merging Hadhramaut Elites Troops into Yemeni Ministry of Internal Affairs

http://en.smanews.org/al-ba-hasani-denies-rumors-about-merging-hadhramaut-elites-troops-into-yemeni-ministry-of-internal-affairs

My comment: The Hadi government has no influence at all at the UAE-backed southern separatist militia.

(A P)

Member of the Transitional Council Challenges Legitimacy Authorities in Maashik to Solve Only One Service Problem

Fadl Al-Gaady, member of the presidency of the southern transitional council, challenged the legitimacy authorities in Maashik to chose one service problem and solve it. On his page on face book, Al-Gaady, acting secretary general of the southern transitional council, wrote: “The corrupt (legitimacy) authority is accustomed to sleep either in Maashik or abroad. Nothing new with them, except for paying attention to publish their photos and news and nothing else”. He said: “All services that concern citizens are absent. Even monthly salaries lost 130% of its value”. Al-Gaady added: “We don’t demand miraculous solutions for all problems. But we challenge this authority to choose only one problem and start to treat and solve it”.

http://en.smanews.org/member-of-the-transitional-council-challenges-legitimacy-authorities-in-maashik-to-solve-only-one-service-problem

Remark: By Southern separatists. The failure of the Hadi government in “liberated” areas is evident.

(A T)

Injury of 9 soldiers of the security belt including an officer by IED in Abyan

9 soldiers from the security belt forces in Abyan governorate (southeast Yemen) injured by an explosion of an Improvised explosive device (IED) targeted a vehicle carrying them at “Khabr Marrakesha” mountains east the governorate.

http://almasdaronline.com/article/99823

(A P)

This is #Aden the smallest city in #Yemen liberated 3 years ago and it’s Yemen's temporary capital city but they have No water No electricity and the city sinking in sewage ! So we just want to say thanks to #SaudiArabia , #UAE and All The Arab coalition for taking us down (photos)

https://twitter.com/NajTV/status/1011561555006238720

(* A P)

UAE Executes Southern Activists in Its Secret Prison in Aden

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), which controls the southern provinces of Yemen, executed on Tuesday a number of southern activists who had been forcibly hidden for several months in its secret prison known as the “Waddah Prison” located in the southern city of Aden.

Rights activists in Aden said that the UAE forces had executed a number of activists, including an activist in the southern movement, who was being held inside one of the prisons it runs, known as the “Waddah Prison” in the Goldmore area of Aden.

According to an activist in the province of Aden, who preferred not to be identified in a special statement to “Yemen Extra”, said that among the people who were executed inside the prison “Waddah,” which the UAE runs, is the female activist in the southern movement Ansam Abdul Samad and each of Nayef Mohammed al-Kahbi, Salim al-Kabi Qinashi and Nasser Thabet al-Abd in Waddah Prison affiliated with Aden’s criminal investigation, and that they had refused to hand over their bodies to their relatives.

According to the activist, the activist Ansam Abdel-Samad was arrested nearly two years ago, after she began criticizing UAE crimes and humanitarian violations perpetrated in Aden and the south in general.

http://www.yemenextra.net/2018/06/27/uae-executes-southern-activists-in-its-secret-prison-in-aden/ = https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.963391330380564.1073741829.961126490607048/1797169797002709/?type=3

(* A P)

Detainees released days after AP report on UAE-run prisons

With hugs and kisses, family and friends of a Yemeni actor celebrated Monday after he and at least three other detainees were freed from prisons controlled by the United Arab Emirates in southern Yemen where they had been held without charges for nearly a year.

The actor, Nasser al-Anbari, a well-known comedian who appeared in TV shows and online videos, grinned and waved as he walked among the well-wishers in the southern city of Aden and motorists honked their car horns, a video filmed by his family shows.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was filming him while in disbelief,” said one of al-Anbari’s sons. When al-Anbari met with his wife, who has cancer, “the two wept,” the son said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of security concerns.

The release on Monday came days after The Associated Press revealed that hundreds of Yemeni prisoners swept up in anti-terror raids by Emirati-backed forces have been subjected to torture and sexual abuse. In Aden’s Beir Ahmed prison, where al-Anbari was held, hundreds of inmates were forced to undress and Emirati officers searched their anal cavities March 10, claiming to be looking for contraband cellphones.

At least three others were also freed from various Emirati-linked facilities. One was an elder called Mahmoud al-Baydani, who used to work for the International Committee of the Red Cross to help mediate releases of hostages held by al-Qaida. He had been held at Beir Ahmed and another UAE-controlled prison in Buriqa. One of the others was held in a lockup in the house of Aden’s Emirati-backed security chief Shalal Shaye.

A state prosecutor, Mohammed Ali Saleh, declined to say how many detainees were freed on Monday.

Security officials told the AP that more prisoners are expected to be released in the coming days from different secret prisons in Aden.

https://apnews.com/4332da41886845a1bd957d71583ba250 = https://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/yemen-detainees-free-days-after-report-on-uae-run-prisons-1.534853

Remark: Earlier reporting on UAE torture prisons in Yemen

https://www.apnews.com/7994b4508e9c4a5eaf8a1cca9f20322f

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/20/yemen-sexual-abuse-uae-run-jails-prisoners-allegations

http://www.adhrb.org/2018/06/sexual-torture-in-uae-run-yemen-prisons-the-latest-chapter-of-the-worlds-worst-humanitarian-crisis/ and earlier.

And

(A P)

UAE military representative in Mukalla refuses to release a leader in the Islah Party and three others

A source said almasdaronline the public prosecution has given a releasing order of 12 detainees at the Authorities in Hadramawt, which were arrested upon UAE forces in Mukalla request.

The sources said the leader in Islah party in Hadramawt Awad Dagheel the detained in UAE prisons for more than 2 years was among the names with the activist Ali Ba qatban.

The military representative of UAE and the acting ruler there stroked the name of “Daqeel” and three others, the names still unknown until now and he replaced them with other 5 names.

http://almasdaronline.com/article/99853

(A T)

Government official survived an assassination at Hadramawt and killing of two of his escort

http://almasdaronline.com/article/99800

(* A P)

Popular protests have kicked off today in east #Yemen's #Mahra. Banners say "No To Militias" (i.e. coalition recruitment), describe "unofficial military forces" (i.e. #Saudi) in Mahra as a "threat" & demand end to militarization of civilian areas. But stress support for Pres Hadi (photos)

https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1011256256269553666

cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks

Siehe / Look at cp1

(* A P)

Yemeni president insists on full withdrawal of Houthi rebels from Hodeidah

Yemen's internationally-backed President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi insisted Wednesday on full withdrawal of the Houthi rebels from the strategic port city of Hodeidah as a condition of a UN-brokered peace deal.

He made the comment while receiving the United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths in Aden.

An Aden-based government official, who asked to remain anonymous, told Xinhua that Martin Griffiths informed Hadi in a meeting in Aden's Republican Compound that the Iranian-backed Houthis accepted the proposal of placing Hodeidah port under the UN mandate.

"Houthis agreed only to cede management of Hodeidah's port to the UN but asked to remain in control over the other parts of the city," the source said.

However, President Hadi strongly rejected the proposal and insisted on complete withdrawal of Houthi fighters from the entire province of Hodeidah and its port.

"Hadi told the UN envoy that the presence of Houthi militants in Hodeidah is totally refused and no longer acceptable," the source said.

At the end of the meeting, Hadi told the UN envoy that the Iranian-backed Houthis must completely withdraw from the whole areas of Hodeidah or face a full-scale military operation in the next days, according to the Yemeni official.

Yemen's Foreign Ministry also confirmed this stance in a statement.

"The port management cannot be considered in isolation from the whole city of Hodeidah and providing protection for the international navigation cannot be achieved without full departure of Houthi militias from the entire province," the ministry said.

The security forces of the country's Interior Ministry must be deployed to secure government institutions and Hodeidah's port following Houthis' full withdrawal from the city, it added.

The UN envoy left Aden hours after his arrival in the city and no official statement has been issued from his office regarding the results of his talks with Hadi.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-06/27/c_137285117.htm

and, shorter: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5892189/Yemen-president-demands-rebel-withdrawal-Hodeida.html

My comment: Demanding preconditions which make clear that fighting will continue – that’s what Hadi and his Saudi / UAE masters want.

(* A P)

Yemen's Hadi rejects plan for Houthis to remain in Hodeidah port

Yemeni President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi has rejected an offer that would have placed the Red Sea port of Hodeidah under UN supervision and allowed the Iran-backed Houthi rebels to remain there, according to reports.

Martin Griffiths, the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, met Mr Hadi on Wednesday as he scrambled to avert an all-out assault on city and its port, the country’s second-largest.

In his first trip to the southern city of Aden, Mr Griffiths reportedly presented an offer to the Yemeni leader from the Houthi leadership to hand the port over to UN control. The offer would have allowed the rebel group to retain a physical presence at the port. The UN has not confirmed the offer.

But the Yemeni leader “completely rejected” the premise of an armed Houthi presence remaining in the port, according to Sky News Arabia.

Echoing a demand repeatedly made by the Arab Coalition, the Yemeni leader “insisted on the need for the Houthis to withdraw completely and without conditions from Hodeidah, or face a military solution,” a Yemeni government source told AFP

https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/yemen-s-hadi-rejects-plan-for-houthis-to-remain-in-hodeidah-port-1.744927

(* A P)

U.N. envoy resumes talks to avert all-out attack on Yemen's main port

U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths, who has held meetings with the Houthis, met President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in the southern city of Aden, temporary headquarters of his exiled government.

In a statement after the meeting, Hadi’s foreign minister Khaled al-Yamani said the president welcomed the U.N. efforts, based on a “Hodeidah initiative” that has been on the table since May 31.

“The initiative is a bundle of decisions which stands on the Houthis’ complete withdrawal from the port and the city of Hodeidah,” the statement said.

Forces from the legitimate government’s interior ministry would take over the city and its strategic port under the initiative, it added. Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television on Wednesday quoted sources as saying Griffiths told Hadi that the Houthis had agreed to hand management of the port to the United Nations, but Hadi stressed that the Houthis must leave the city entirely.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/u-n-envoy-resumes-talks-to-avert-all-out-attack-on-yemens-main-port-idUSKBN1JN1JW

(* A P)

UAE says it wants Yemen peace deal but Houthis must leave Hodeidah

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Tuesday an Arab coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen was cooperating with a U.N. envoy to end fighting, but the Houthis must quit the port city of Hodeidah as a condition for any peace deal.

U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths is visiting the southern city of Aden on Wednesday for talks with ousted President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in the exiled government’s temporary capital, after similar talks with the Houthis in Sanaa last week.

The U.N. is seeking a breakthrough in the three-year-old conflict that has killed more than 10,000 and caused the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with millions left facing starvation and disease.

Reem al-Hashimy, the UAE minister of state for international cooperation, told reporters in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi that the coalition was in close contact with U.N. envoy Giffiths “and we do want to see this come to a positive conclusion.”

But she added: “There are really certain elements we won’t sway from ... the withdrawal of Houthis from the city is essential.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/yemen-security-emirates/uae-says-it-wants-yemen-peace-deal-but-houthis-must-leave-hodeidah-idUSL8N1TS3ZI?rpc=401&

My comment: It’s seriously wrong that the UAE wants “peace”. They want to achieve their goal to win more advantage in the Yemen war. Thus, they claim heavy preconditions for which the Houthis would get nothing. Either the preconditions are met – then that’s a cheap victory; if not, then there is a pretense to blame the enemy.

(A P)

U.N. envoy resumes talks to avert all-out attack on Yemen's main port

A U.N. special envoy met with Yemen’s exiled president on Wednesday as part of efforts to find a political solution that would avert an all-out assault on the country’s main port city, which the United Nations fears could trigger a famine.

U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths, who has already held meetings with the Houthis, met President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in the southern city of Aden.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/u-n-envoy-resumes-talks-to-avert-all-out-attack-on-yemens-main-port-idUSKBN1JN1JW

and

(A P)

Yemeni President Meets with UN Envoy, in Aden

During the meeting, they discussed difficulties and challenges faced by the country, resulting from the consequences of the war, imposed by the Houthi militias and their devastating effects on the Yemeni people.
According to Yemen News Agency, the Yemeni President reviewed the experiences of previous dialogues with the putschists, saying that these dialogues have failed due to the intransigence of the Houthi militias, because they still keep with them the looted weapons and threaten our brothers, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the GCC countries. He called on the militias to comply with the resolutions of the international legitimacy and to lift the siege on Taiz, and all other cities.

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1779659

(A P)

Griffith to Aden Wednesday to meet Hadi in attempt to of Hodeida battle containment

The UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffith start Wednesday a visit to the Temp- capital Aden, and he will meet the Yemeni president Hadi in his efforts and attempts to the containment of Hodeida battel.

Anadolu agency said from close sources to Martin Griffith that he will visit Aden and meet the president Hadi who is now present at Aden for more than a week.

The sources indicated that he will discuss with Hadi seizing the military escalation at the west coast and the UN plan to continue the peace talks.

Last Thursday, Griffith said the avoidance of a military confrontation in Hodeida city and going back to the negotiations table is on the top of his priorities with Yemeni Parties.

http://almasdaronline.com/article/99802 and also http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-5888211/UN-envoy-meet-Yemens-president-Hodeida-fighting.html

(A P)

Griffiths Discusses in Aden Ways to Push Hodeidah Plan Forward

Asharq Al-Awsat learned that Griffiths is seeking to convince the legitimate government and Houthi rebels to form a joint committee under UN supervision to manage the city and its port in exchange for stopping military operations and withdrawing Houthi militias to the city’s suburbs.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1313231/griffiths-discusses-aden-ways-push-hodeidah-plan-forward

(A P)

UN envoy due in Yemen as strains escalate with Houthi missile launch

U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths is due in the southern city of Aden on Wednesday for talks with ousted President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in the exiled government’s temporary capital, government officials said.

One official said Griffiths would be there only for a few hours for talks focused on averting an assault on the port.

“There is a proposal on the table,” the foreign minister of Hadi’s government, Khaled al-Yamani, told reporters in Riyadh.

“We would accept a peace initiative on the condition that militias leave the western coast,” he said at a joint press conference to announce a $40 million project launched by Saudi Arabia for de-mining operations in Yemen.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/u-n-envoy-due-in-yemen-as-strains-escalate-with-houthi-missile-launch-idUSKBN1JL119

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180625-un-envoy-due-in-yemen-to-end-hudaydah-crisis/

My comment: Preconditions which evidently are a signal that they DO NOT want a peace agreement. And, be aware: Now, it’s not just „Hodeidah“, now it’s the „West Coast“.

(A P)

Iranian, European Diplomats Discuss Yemen Crisis in Tehran

Hossein Jaberi Ansari, a senior assistant to the Iranian foreign minister, has sat for talks with ambassadors of France, Britain and Italy as well as German charge d’affairs in Tehran on the tragic humanitarian situation in Yemen.

During the Monday meeting held at the Iranian Foreign Ministry building in Tehran, the participants explored ways to enhance cooperation between Iran and the European states to resolve Yemen crisis and relieve the suffering of the oppressed nation.

http://ifpnews.com/exclusive/iranian-european-diplomats-discuss-yemen-crisis-in-tehran/

cp7a Saudi-Arabien und Iran / Saudi Arabia and Iran

Top Khamenei Aide Threatens Riyadh With Missiles

The Iranian supreme leader’s top military adviser, Yahya Rahim Safavi, has threatened Saudi Arabia with “a barrage of missiles.”

“If Saudis dare to attack Iran, the royal palaces in Riyadh will be immediately showered with 1,000 missiles,” said Safavi, former chief-commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), in response to a question concerning a possible Saudi attack against Iran.

https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-khamenei-advisor-threatens-saudi-arabia/29318388.html

My comment: This is by Radio Farda, a Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty US propaganda broadcast service for Iran. Keep in mind that the headline is twisted, as Safavi’s statement is no “threat” but refers to a Saudi attack against Iran. That’s a little bit different.

cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia

(* A P)

Saudi Arabia: Do not execute protesters: Petition

Urgent – executions in Saudi Arabia can happen at any time, with no warning. Take action now!

18 young people could be beheaded at any time for the ‘crime’ of protesting against the Saudi government. Some were sentenced to death for attending protests when they were children. All were brutally tortured into confessing.

Saudi Arabia claims to be reforming under its Vision 2030 programme, but these executions could come at any time. Urge Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to commute their death sentences.

https://act.reprieve.org.uk/page/content/saudiexecutions

(* B P)

Saudi Arabia is a populist dictatorship

The notion that Mohammed bin Salman is liberalising the Saudi system is a fantasy. Having ruthlessly sidelined all rival claimants to the throne -- his father, King Salman, is 82 and ailing – by Gwynne Dyer

https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1493066/ = https://www.trinidadexpress.com/opinion/columnists/saudi-arabia-a-populist-dictatorship/article_01201c22-78de-11e8-8622-8f845a541c94.html

(* A P)

Prominent Saudi women's rights activist detained as driving ban lifted: sources

Saudi Arabia has detained prominent women’s rights advocate Hatoon al-Fassi, widening a crackdown that has ensnared more than a dozen activists even as the kingdom lifted a ban on women driving, sources said on Wednesday.

Fassi was last active online on Thursday. She was planning to take journalists in her car on Sunday as other women did to celebrate the much-hyped end of the world’s last ban on female drivers, long seen as an emblem of women’s repression in the deeply conservative Muslim country.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-arrests/prominent-saudi-womens-rights-activist-detained-as-driving-ban-lifted-sources-idUSKBN1JN20Y

(B P)

Four aides spearhead Mohamed bin Salman' international charm offensive

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is looking to take back the initiative in a number of conflicts of influence that he himself started with Qatar, Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood and other parties. Four key figures are leading the Saudi official's offensive (subscribers only)

https://www.intelligenceonline.com/government-intelligence/2018/06/27/four-aides-spearhead-mohamed-bin-salman--international-charm-offensive,108314905-eve

Comment: Hmmm. He now has ministers of sport and culture to help him pretend that he is a progressive ruler - whilst beheading the opposition and imprisoning women who strove for the right to drive

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156797713843641

(A P)

After Its Failure in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, Saudi Arabia Is Looking For a “Victory” in Palestine

Saudi Arabia is looking for a “victory” following many and repeated defeats of its foreign policy in the Middle East. There is only one remaining dossier the Saudis can push forward: it’s Palestine’s turn.

The Israeli media Maariv reported a secret meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman and Israel Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu at the Jordanian Royal Palace in Amman last week. The news was leaked to the newspapers, a typical Israeli style to avoid direct responsibility.

https://ahtribune.com/world/north-africa-south-west-asia/2312-saudi-arabia-palestine.html

cp9 USA

(B K P)

Film: Rep. Ro Khanna on Challenging the Saudi-Led War on Yemen

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California) discusses his efforts to stop U.S. support for the Saudi-led attack on Yemen; his differences with Obama administration officials who backed Saudi's assault from the outset; and the impact of Saudi lobbying efforts to sustain ongoing US assistance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RouHSwxoZ94

(B H)

Child marriage is alive and well among the Yemeni-Americans in Dearborn, but education may finally erode that social norm.

When Amal was 15 years old, her best friend Jasmin stopped coming to school.

“Her parents wanted her married,” Amal, who is Lebanese, says. “She was Yemeni—they always do that very young.” (Some names have been changed to protect privacy.)

Dearborn’s Yemeni population has grown significantly over the past five years, largely due to an influx of refugees fleeing the ongoing war in Yemen, according to a spokesperson for the City of Dearborn. More than one-third of Dearborn’s approximately 100,000 residents identify as Arab, and of those approximately 8 percent are Yemeni, which includes immigrants and Americans of Yemeni descent. Like most immigrant groups, the Yemeni bring their social customs with them.

Child marriage is one such norm, and its practice has affected Dearborn’s Yemeni girls for decades.

Liberal state laws in Michigan make such child marriages relatively easy to obtain. Michigan is one of 26 states that doesn’t have an age floor, meaning children can get married at any age if certain conditions are met. The state will legally recognize the marriage of a 16- or 17-year-old if the parents consent. If the child is 15 years old or younger, approval of the Wayne County probate court must be granted as well.

https://www.weeklystandard.com/kaylee-mcghee/meet-the-yemeni-child-brides-of-dearborn-michigan

(* A P)

Trumps Einreiseverbot ist rechtens

Der Oberste Gerichtshof der USA hat sich im Streit um das jüngste Einreiseverbot von US-Präsident Donald Trump für Menschen aus mehreren islamischen Ländern auf die Seite der Regierung gestellt. Von dieser jüngsten Form der Visasperren, die die Regierung im vergangenen September erlassen hatte, sind Menschen aus dem Iran, Libyen, Somalia, Syrien und dem Jemen betroffen. Die mit fünf gegen vier Richter-Stimmen gefällte Entscheidung stellt einen der größten Erfolge von Trump in seiner bisherigen Präsidentschaft dar.

https://www.wiwo.de/politik/ausland/supreme-court-trumps-einreiseverbot-ist-rechtens/22738034.html

(* A P)

Top US court backs Trump travel ban on Muslim-majority countries

Advocacy groups 'appalled' by ruling blocking people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen from entering US.

The United States Supreme Court has upheld President Donald Trump's controversial order blocking entry by people from several Muslim-majority countries, a decision described as "disappointing" and "worrying" by advocacy groups.

In a 5-4 decision on Tuesday, the high court found that Trump's action was "squarely within the scope of presidential authority" under US immigration law and rejected a challenge that it discriminated against Muslims or exceeded his authority.

The current ban, announced in September and widely criticised by human rights and refugee advocacy groups, prohibits entry into the US by most people from Iran , Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

It also affects two non-Muslim majority countries, blocking travelers from North Koreaand some Venezuelan government officials and their families.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/supreme-court-upholds-trump-travel-ban-180626142504629.html

(* A P)

The Trump Administration Must Extend Temporary Protected Status for Yemenis

This week, 33 national security experts — including 31 former federal government officials — are sending a letter to the secretaries of State and Homeland Security, urging them to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Yemenis living in the United States, and to redesignate Yemen for TPS, making it possible for Yemenis not currently holding this status to apply. We have added our names to this letter because TPS has saved lives and advanced America’s national interests, and its extension will continue to do so.

As former U.S. ambassadors to Yemen, we have watched the ongoing conflict in that country with grave concern.

As pro-government forces advance on the Houthi stronghold of Hodeidah, home to Yemen’s most important sea port, there is a significant chance that the humanitarian situation inside the country could deteriorate further, as fighting could further impede the distribution of food and medicine. Even if the UN Special Envoy for Yemen succeeds in persuading all parties to return to the negotiating table, fighting is likely to continue for some time, and with it, the attendant humanitarian and economic crises, as well as the severe damage done to Yemen’s infrastructure.

For those Yemenis affected by it, the upcoming decision by the Department of Homeland Security on the extension of TPS could literally be a matter of life and death. Neither Yemeni authorities nor the international community have the capacity to resettle returning Yemenis in a way that protects them from being swept up in the war, or targeted by one or another party to the conflict, or falling victim to the humanitarian crisis that grips their homeland. Given these conditions and the certainty that they will persist, cancelling TPS for Yemenis would be tantamount to refoulement, placing their lives and freedom in immediate and grave jeopardy – by Barbara Bodine, Gerald Feierstein and Stephen A. Seche

https://www.justsecurity.org/58459/trump-administration-extend-tps-yemenis/

cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain

(* B K P)

Weapons costing lives in deadly wars abroad are also costing jobs at home

A report shows a slump in jobs in the UK arms sector even as the technology sharpens and intensifies conflicts overseas

The growing reliance on technology in many of the world’s ongoing conflicts is impacting heavily on the UK’s defence sector.

The British arms export business constitutes about 1.6% in value of total exports – and costs us in that it creates humanitarian crises, which need to be addressed – while the number of jobs in the industry are falling sharply.

A report published by the watchdog Nuclear Education Trust (Net) calls for the UK to adopt a similar approach to that of South Africa, Estonia, Italy and the US. It suggests the formation of a Defence Diversification Agency (DDA) to protect the rising number of people losing their jobs as defence technology advances

Highly skilled individuals find themselves without work or needing to retrain, which has a negative impact across the global economy.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/jun/27/weapons-costing-lives-in-deadly-wars-abroad-are-also-costing-jobs-at-home

cp11 Deutschland / Germany

(A K P)

Mathias T. zum Jemen (arabische Untertitel)

Als Begründer der Initiative 'Stop the war in Yemen' spricht Mathias T. bei der Friedensmahnwache Cottbus im Gedenken an die zivilen Opfer deutscher Waffenlieferungen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3g1lGwoluU

cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries

(A K P)

Remarks by HR/VP Mogherini at the press conference following the Foreign Affairs Council

Q: Back to Yemen, the Conclusions called on all parties to desist from attacks on civilians, but it specifies its condemnation of the Houthi for the shelling of Saudi targets. I wonder why there is no reference in the conclusions to the Saudis and the Saudi bombing that has involved civilians. Has this anything to do with the fact that one of our Member States is supplying weapons to the Saudis, is this giving them cover in some way? And did the U.N. representative [Martin Griffiths] talk at all about the possibility which has been suggested by him I think, but also responded favourably to by the Houthis that the port would actually come under UN control and is that a viable option, as far as the Council is concerned?

That could be a viable option for us. As I said, we have a very strong concern about the humanitarian situation, the consequences of further military actions on not only the port, but also on the city of Hodeidah. And this is why I mentioned the fact that we believe this should be avoided. As far as specific Member States positions are concerned, you know very well that there are some Member States that have somehow expressed stronger views on one aspect or the other of the conflict. But what unites the Council - and that is what you find reflected in the Council Conclusions, and most importantly, in our daily action on the ground - both on the humanitarian assistance and on the support of the political process - is the need to bring the parties around the negotiating table and for doing that there is a need for the arms to cease activities and to offer diplomacy a chance.

We all heard from the UN Special Envoy [Martin Griffiths] the assessment that a peace agreement is extremely difficult

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/remarks-hrvp-mogherini-press-conference-following-foreign-affairs-council

My comment: She simply does not ask the first question why there is such a bias in favour of Saudi Arabia.

(A P)

France condemns Houthi firing of missiles on Riyadh

France has condemned the Houthi group's firing of ballistic missiles toward the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 24.

The French foreign ministry has issued a statement calling it "a new assault on Saudi Arabia’s security and the stability of the region."

The statement read: "The firing of missiles that deliberately target populated areas is unacceptable. It illustrates the seriousness of the threat that ballistic proliferation represents for the entire region, as set forth in the latest report by the UN Panel of Experts on Yemen.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-19607

and

(A P)

South Korea condemns Yemen Houthi rebels' missile launches

"(We) strongly condemn the missile attacks that threaten the life and safety of civilians," Seoul's foreign ministry spokesman said in a written commentary.

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2018/06/27/0200000000AEN20180627003700315.html

My comment: As Western states normally declare. Why the do not condemn the Saudi coalition air raids in Yemen – which are much more horrible than these Houthi missiles? Hypocrisy at its best. Saudi lifes matter 10.000 times more than Yemeni lifes. That’s western moral in a nutshell (And Western lifes will matter 1.000 times more than Saudi lifes, this must be added as well).

(A P)

Kuwait alarmed by Houthi missile barrage on Saudi Arabia

https://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2734595&Language=en

(A H P)

Jemen-Konferenz in Paris soll humanitäre Hilfe vorbereiten

Eine internationale Jemen-Konferenz in Paris soll am Mittwoch Hilfslieferungen für das Bürgerkriegsland vorbereiten.

Eine internationale Jemen-Konferenz in Paris soll am Mittwoch Hilfslieferungen für das Bürgerkriegsland vorbereiten. Ziel seien "neue humanitäre Initiativen", hatte Frankreichs Präsident Emmanuel Macron im April angekündigt. Anders als ursprünglich geplant findet die Konferenz nur auf Expertenebene statt, eine Pressekonferenz ist nicht vorgesehen.

Entscheidungen seien nicht zu erwarten, heißt es aus dem französischen Außenministerium - diese blieben einem späteren Ministertreffen vorbehalten.

https://www.stern.de/news/jemen-konferenz-in-paris-soll-humanitaere-hilfe-vorbereiten-8143586.html = https://www.welt.de/newsticker/news1/article178279780/Konflikte-Jemen-Konferenz-in-Paris-soll-humanitaere-Hilfe-vorbereiten.html

Mein Kommentar: Diese Konferenz ist eine reine Propagandashow – sie soll Macron als „Macher“ dastehen lassen, und, was noch viel schlimmer ist, sie ist auch und vor allem eine Gratis-Propagandashow für den saudischen Kronprinzen Salman, die ihm Macron einfach so geschenkt hat.

(* A H P)

Paris and Riyadh launch Yemen peace conference. Without Houthi rebels or NGOs

Humanitarian aid, economic and financial issues, humanitarian principles to be respected are at the center of the meeting. Absent the main operating organizations in the field. It weighs the missed invitation to the Shiite militias, active part of the conflict. The Emirates reject UN peace plans that involve Houthi involvement.

In the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi hereditary prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), a Franco-Saudi peace conference for Yemen opens today in Paris.

Macron has stated that the summit aims to "clarify what needs to be done and what needs to be done" and "allow us to take on new humanitarian initiatives for the civilian population".

All of the international organizations and the States involved in the conflict in various ways were to have participated in the Paris meeting which was announced last April during a Mbs’ visit to France.

However, the Houthi rebels were not invited to the discussion table. And the NGOs operating on the field were also uninvited. Instead they will "be consulted" in separate locations.

The promoters have not formalized an agenda. But a note published by L'Orient-Le Jour (Loj) reveals the following discussion items: humanitarian aid; commitments and needs of the parties; economic and financial issues; humanitarian principles to be respected. The goal is to give "responses" to the numerous "difficulties" that have already been identified by "institutional, governmental and non-governmental actors".

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Paris-and-Riyadh-launch-Yemen-peace-conference.-Without-Houthi-rebels-or-NGOs--44278.html

My comment: This conference is a propaganda stunt for president Macron, and – what is much worse – a ptopaganda stunt to Saudi crown prince Salman, granted to him by Macron.

(A H P)

In Paris, International Experts Meet on Yemen Crisis

Relief agencies have called for targeted sanctions against Yemen's warring parties and for international pressure to keep vital humanitarian assistance flowing, as diplomats meet Wednesday on the country's crisis in Paris. The meeting was downgraded after last week's Saudi-led coalition attack on Yemen's main port of Hodeida.
Co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, the Paris conference was to have been at a ministerial level, with French President Emmanuel Macron delivering a keynote speech. But those plans were scrapped following the Hodeida attack. Now the meeting is taking place among international experts, behind closed doors.
https://www.voanews.com/a/in-paris-international-experts-meet-on-yemen-crisis/4456668.html

(* A H P)

Joint INGO release: Yemen: France should press Saudi and Emirati allies to minimize harm to hundreds of thousands of civilians

France's willingness to do more to address the crisis in Yemen is welcome. However, several NGOs have recently expressed, in an open letter to President Macron, their concerns about the humanitarian conference on Yemen of 27 June, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia – a party to the conflict –, as a major offensive is under way.

The French initiative, now downgraded to a meeting of experts, will be judged on its ability to secure clear commitments from Saudi Arabia and its allies to minimize risks to civilians during the Hodeidah attack and across Yemen, NGOs said today.

https://www.careinternational.org.uk/joint-ingo-release-yemen-france-should-press-saudi-and-emirati-allies-minimize-harm-hundreds = https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/06/26/yemen-minimize-harm-civilians-hodeidah

(A P)

Comoros reaffirms support for Operation Restoring Hope in Yemen

The Comoros Republic has affirmed support for the UAE and the Saudi-led Arab Coalition fighting on behalf of the internationally - recognised government in Yemen.

In a statement issued following the state visit paid by H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, to the country, Comoros' Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mohammad Al Amine Souef, has reiterated his country's firm support for legitimacy in Yemen and for restoring normalcy and stability to the war-ravaged country.

http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302696124

My comment: Another poor tiny state getting UAE money.

(A P)

Yemen: Council adopts conclusions

On 25 June 2018, EU foreign ministers discussed the latest developments in Yemen together with UN Special Envoy (UNSE) Martin Griffiths, who briefed them on his peace plan.

The Council underlines that sustainable peace can only be achieved through negotiations with the meaningful participation of all relevant parties, including civil society, women and youth. The EU therefore supports the UNSE's efforts to restart the political process, and in particular his intention to renew inclusive political negotiations as soon as possible.

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2018/06/25/yemen-council-adopts-conclusions/

Comment: The same position as ever: ineffective position

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1793582627361426

(B H P)

South Korea’s ‘refugee crisis’ reveals its gendered Islamophobia

With some 500 Yemeni nationals seeking asylum on Jeju Island, many in South Korea say the country is facing its first “refugee crisis.”

Indeed, the influx of the refugees from Yemen has triggered a fierce backlash among Koreans against immigration rules of Jeju Island, where, unlike the rest of South Korea, most foreign passport-holders can stay for a month without a visa.

Many of those who oppose the visa-waiver program say Yemenis will only “create problems” in Korea, especially against local women because “they are Muslims.”

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20180627000873

cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis

(* B P)

Wahhabitischer Kanalbau mit Hintergedanken: Saudi-Arabien will aus Katar eine Insel machen (Video)

Nach der Blockade Katars haben die Saudis nun ihre neusten Pläne enthüllt: Durch einen 60 km langen Kanal plant Saudi Arabien, aus der Halbinsel Katar zukünftig eine "Insel" zu machen. Eine weitere Provokation, die für zusätzliche Unruhe in der Region sorgen könnte.

Ein moderner Burggraben, getarnt als touristische Attraktion. An der Stelle, die Katar am nächsten liegt, wollen die Saudis zudem eine Militärbasis und eine Atommülldeponie errichten. Manchmal scheint die internationale Diplomatie eine einzige Posse zu sein. Der buchstäbliche Bau eines Grabens klingt wie der Bösewicht-Geistesblitz in einem Animationsfilm aus den Pixar-Studios.

https://deutsch.rt.com/der-nahe-osten/72017-kanalbau-saudi-arabien-will-aus-katar-eine-insel-machen/

cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade

Siehe / Look at cp1

(* B K P)

Chancellor of Justice: Patria permits for defence exports to UAE were legal

Norwegian media reports that Patria products from Finland have been spotted in use during Yemen’s brutal civil war.

Finland's Chancellor of Justice says that the government’s decision to approve exports of armoured personnel carriers to the United Arab Emirates complied with the law.

Chancellor Tuomas Pöysti said that the office of the prime minister was open to criticism, however, given the UAE’s involvement in Yemen’s civil war.

Finland granted two permits for Patria to sell vehicles to the UAE, in 2015 and 2018. Pöysti said the second of these was more questionable because the UAE was clearly embroiled in the Yemeni conflict by then, but nevertheless the decision complied with Finnish law.

According to information received by Yle, Patria has sold personnel carriers to the UAE. Finland has been criticised for that decision, after claims that Patria products had been spotted in Yemen.

https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/chancellor_of_justice_patria_permits_for_defence_exports_to_uae_were_legal/10276838

(* B K P)

South Korean Raybolt spotted in Yemen

A manportable anti-tank missile system that appeared to be a South Korean-made LIG Nex1 Raybolt has been seen in a video attributed to the Fourth Brigade that is fighting the Yemeni rebel group Ansar Allah (Houthi).

The Raybolt is an advanced system that can be locked on before launch so the operator does not have to guide it to its target. The video, which was released on or shortly before 21 June, appears to show this fire-and-forget capability as the vehicle it is launched against moves behind high ground during the missile’s flight, obscuring the target from the launch location.

http://www.janes.com/article/81348/south-korean-raybolt-spotted-in-yemen

cp13b Mercenaries / Söldner

(* B K pH)

Long-time US losses in the West Coast

Leaked information, from the corridors of government in the UAE, confirmed that one of the officers and leaders of “Blackwater” was held in the grip of the Yemeni army during the fighting in #the West Coast Front.

A Blackwater police officer, contracted with UAE forces, along with a Yemeni officer and a number of soldiers surrendered to the Yemeni army after being besieged for several days in al-Faza area, south of Hodeidah, Gulf media reported.

http://www.yemenextra.net/2018/06/27/long-time-us-losses-in-the-west-coast-2/ = https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.963391330380564.1073741829.961126490607048/1797172153669140/?type=3

cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism

(A T)

#AQAP #Yemen claims 3 more ops (excl informal claims) Ibb: 6 Houthis killed/hurt incl commander Saddam Muhi al-Din by IED at Hubaysh Xroads 10am 23June Abyan: 9 Security Belt forces hurt by IED in Khabar al-Maraqisha 25June al-Bayda': Houthis dead/hurt in ambush 8.40pm 25June

https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1011945545772994560

(A T)

#AQAP (Ansar al-Shari'a) #Yemen releases 1st formal statement of 2018. Promises "practical steps" against Houthis for mistreatment of "our prisoners". Bit hypocritical to complain, given AQAP boasted of sending suicide bombers into Houthi markets & other public places 2011-12 (document)

https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1011625504414359552

(A T P)

US lauds Saudi efforts in fighting Daesh

The United States on Tuesday lauded the remarkable role being played by Saudi Arabia in the fight against Daesh (the so-called IS) terrorist organization.
US Presidential Special Envoy to the Global Coalition Against Daesh Brett H. McGurk thanked Saudi Arabia, Morocco and other countries participating in the Coalition for their efforts against the hateful ideology of Daesh and other t

http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/537687/SAUDI-ARABIA/US-lauds-Saudi-efforts-in-fighting-Daesh

My comment: Bizarre: Those who have empowered ISIS by their politics in Iraq and Syria praise those who gave the spirit to ISIS – for fighting against ISIS!

cp15 Propaganda

(A P)

New Houthi tactics in Hodeida

As the coalition campaign against the Yemeni port of Hodeida continued this week, it seems that the Houthi rebels holding it have changed their strategy

the Houthis have changed their combat tactics in the port of Hodeida.

Instead of focusing on direct engagement with the army or other forces, they have opted for guerrilla warfare, which raises risks of civilian deaths, especially given the use of land mines and snipers posted on rooftops.

A Yemeni source close to President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi told Al-Ahram Weekly from Riyadh that “the Houthis are looking at defeat, but they don’t want to leave Hodeida without a fight. They’re proposing the guerrilla war scenario in case the coalition moves on to Sanaa.”

“It’s just like how the Islamic State (IS) group handled the battle in Mosul [in northern Iraq]. We’re watching similar action by the Houthi militia in Hodeida. They’re digging trenches and deploying snipers,” he said.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths has so far failed to persuade the Houthis to turn over the port of Hodeida to the UN

Iran has also re-emerged in connection with developments in Yemen recently, as the Houthis have again been carrying out missile fire into Saudi Arabia.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/24831.aspx

My comment: A full propaganda article hardly worth reading, filled up with “fake news”.

(A P)

‏A Statement by the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen regarding the Secretary-General’s Report on Children and Armed Conflict

Col. Turki Al Malki, The Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, stated that The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, which was founded at the request of the legitimate Government of Yemen to protect the country and its people from Iranian-backed Houthi aggression, rejects the claims made in the report regarding violations attributed to the Coalition, which are based on inaccurate information provided by unreliable sources. The Coaltion calls upon the UN to amend its procedures to ensure that no false information is included in its reports.
‎‏The Report clearly distinguishes between parties that have put in place measures aimed at improving the protection of children, such as the Coalition, and those, like the Houthi militias supported by Iran, that have not done so.
‎‏The Coalition takes its responsibility for protecting all civilians in armed conflict, particularly children, very seriously.

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1779731

My comment: Nothing else could have been expected. This statement refers to the UN report on children linked in cp1. Even thouth the UN lets the Saudis from the hook (report linked in cp1), they nevertheless loudly complain and tell stories of “inaccurate information provided by unreliable sources”.

(A P)

Premier Daghr Says Houthis Don't Want Peace But Yemen on Verge of Liberation

PM Daghr went on promising that Hodeidah and all west coast areas being on the verge of a new era after Iran-aligned militias are driven out by government forces and allies.

Remarks made by Daghr coincided with a host of local and regional humanitarian campaigns along with government measures aimed at alleviating damage to the liberated areas south of Hodeidah.
Most aid efforts aimed at providing necessary relief support and enhancing preparedness for sustaining any repercussions arising from military operations expected to resume.

https://www.albawaba.com/news/premier-daghr-says-houthis-dont-want-peace-yemen-verge-liberation-1150652

(A P)

UAE humanitarian aid to Yemen almost 4 billion dollars

We are here for the long run: Minister of State for International Cooperation

The UAE’s humanitarian assistance to Yemen has almost reached 4 billion dollars (Dh14.7 billion), the Minister of State for International Cooperation, Reem Al Hashimy said on Tuesday.

The Arab Coalition – which includes Saudi Arabia and the UAE – intervened in Yemen’s war in 2015 to fight the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels at the request of the internationally-recognised government of Yemeni President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi.

“We are here for the long run, we have been with Yemen, there’s a commitment of almost 4 billion dollars in the last three years, since 2015-2018,” Ms Al Hashimy told reporters in Abu Dhabi.

https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/uae-humanitarian-aid-to-yemen-almost-4-billion-dollars-1.744471

My comment: As if they would not lead war in Yemen. Simply odd.

(A P)

The Coalition said he granted 25 thousand permits for entering aid to Yemen

The spokesman of the Arabic coalition led by Saudi Arabia Colonel Turki Almaliki said Monday that the coalition granted more than 25 thousand permits for Human aid to Yemen.

He added in the press conference, the maritime, air and land ports are working on entering the aids, but Houthis deliberately obstructing the ships which carry fuel and prevented from entering Hodeida port which makes it responsible legally and ethically toward those violations.

http://almasdaronline.com/article/99821

My comment: This is really putting upside down, as if there would be no Saudi blockade.

(A P)

Human Rights Seminar on the humanitarian situation in Yemen in Paris

A seminar on the humanitarian situation in Yemen was organized by the Geneva-based Haqi Center for Support of Rights and Freedoms in Paris, in cooperation with the Yemeni-European House in Paris on the humanitarian situation in the cities of Hodeidah and Taiz in light of violations by Houthi-backed militias.
Speaking at the seminar moderated by former Yemeni ambassador to the United Nations Dr. Ibrahim Al-Adofi, Yemen's Ambassador to France, Dr Riyad Yassin talked in an opening speech on the current situation of the humanitarian situation suffered by the people of the governorates of Hodeidah and Taiz in light of serious violations committed by Houthi terrorist militias and the role of coalition efforts in providing aid and humanitarian assistance for the people of Hodeidah.
Yemeni Minister of Human Rights Mohammad Askar spoke about the humanitarian situation in Taiz.

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1779215

(A P)

UAE's Gargash: Liberation of Yemen's Hodeidah key to political solution

UAE reiterates its support for UN-led efforts to end the Yemen war

UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said that the liberation of Yemen’s key port city of Hodeidah from the Houthi rebels was an “essential step” towards a political solution.

“To move the UN-led political process in Yemen, the liberation of Hodeidah is essential. We are determined to end this war. Our priority is the peaceful withdrawal of Houthi militias from the city and port,” Dr Gargash tweeted on Tuesday.

“Securing Hodeidah is an essential step towards a political conclusion.

“Otherwise, the mentality of zero-sum solutions and utility of profiteering from a war economy will continue to prevail.”

“We continue to support the UN-led efforts in Hodeidah and Yemen. A UN/Yemeni political process will accelerate with a Houthi decision to withdraw from Hodeidah and avoid a confrontation,” he said.

“The coalition is acting responsibly and rationally in trying to secure Hodeidah peacefully and by avoiding a confrontation.

“Yet, achieving our objectives is essential to ending the war in Yemen.”

https://www.thenational.ae/world/uae-s-gargash-liberation-of-yemen-s-hodeidah-key-to-political-solution-1.744315

My comment: This is odd propaganda from the beginning to the end. “We need to msake war for getting peace”.

(A P)

Saudi-Led Coalition Says Hodeidah Operation Aims to Force Houthis to Negotiate

Saudi-led coalition is continuing the operation to establish control over Yemeni port city of Al Hodeidah together with the troops on the side of Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in order to force the rebels from the Houthi movement to sit down for negotiations, the coalition's spokesman Turki Maliki said Monday.

"Military operations in Al Hodeidah continue in order to put pressure on the Houthis and force them to sit down at the negotiating table. These military actions are part of the political process in Yemen and are in accordance with international law," Maliki said at a press conference broadcast by the Saudi channel Al Ekhbariya.

Maliki also accused the Houthis of disrupting all political efforts that could lead to a negotiated solution to the crisis.

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201806261065774868-saudi-yemen-hodeidah-goals-revealed/

My comment: This sounds like Orwellian speech.

(A P)

Saudi-led Coalition Supports Efforts of the UN Envoy to Yemen, to Reach Political Solution, Spokesman Col. Al-Malki Announces

Spokesman for the coalition forces in support of legitimacy in Yemen, Colonel Turki al-Maliki, underscored continuation of political efforts to resolve the crisis in Yemen, through the UN envoy Martin Griffith, welcoming the statement recently issued by Griffith, stressing the support of the coalition leadership for all efforts to reach a political solution and pointing to the intransigence of the Houthi militia, derailing reaching a political solution.
During the regular conference of the Joint Forces Command held at the Officers' Club of the Armed Forces in Riyadh today, he pointed to the Conference of Ministers of Information of the states of the coalition aimed at coordinating all efforts in the media work and to achieve the highest levels of communication, as well as to refute the allegations, fabrications and lies of the Houthi militias on the media in Yemen trying to drag them to the battlefield.
He explained that the visit of a delegation of the Joint Forces Command to the European Union aimed at exchanging ideas and opinions, and to discuss the current situation, in Yemen.

During humanitarian operations, by air, sea and land relief outlets, 22 relief outlets are still able to receive the necessary materials as well as relief materials for the UN organizations and international organizations, he pointed out.

He stressed continuation of the coalition in issuing permits for incoming orders carrying imports and necessary materials, relief and humanitarian aid. The number of air, land and sea permits awarded is more than 25,000.

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1779027

http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302696134

(A P)

The Hezbollah connection: Missile chain of evidence from Tehran, to Lebanon, to Houthis

Missile parts are smuggled into Yemen through the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, and coalition forces launched a military offensive on June 12 to wrest control of the port from the Houthis.

Dozens of missiles fired from Yemen into Saudi Arabia have targeted Riyadh, Makkah and the southern cities of Jazan and Najran.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1328026/saudi-arabia

My comment: A C+P propaganda story. It seems they even are not able to get their propaganda strait: There is told that 8 Hezbollah fighters had been killed in Saada province; and we are told a Houthi leader and 7 Hezbollah fighters had been captured. So what???

And

(A P)

Photo: One of the dead Lebanese Hezbollah in the front of the navigational province of # Sa'ada

https://twitter.com/Newsyamen/status/1011385616456650752

My comment: This looks very, very probable. LOL.

(A P)

OPERATION ‘GOLDEN VICTORY’ - A TURNING POINT IN THE WAR IN YEMEN

Liberating Hodeidah would give the Arab coalition the upper hand in the war.

The control over Hodeidah port also means the control over revenues from customs and tariffs on exported and imported goods.
Hodeidah has strategic importance: the port city is the main command headquarters of the Houthis on the western coast and contains many important military and security installations, the main gateway where Houthis smuggle in weapons and is a major passage to the capital of Sanaa.

The pressure in Saada has prevented the Houthis from sending reinforcements to other fronts, including the Red Sea, which helped government forces to advance there.
Cooperation between Yemeni factions contributed to the success of the government forces.

By losing the strategic port of Hodeidah, the Houthis will be confined to closed, landlocked areas. This could force the Houthis into a fight for survival, which may drive them return to negotiations.

https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Operation-Golden-Victory-a-turning-point-in-the-war-in-Yemen-560853

My comment: The “Jerusalem Post” repeating Saudi propaganda by “Copy and Paste”. – “may drive them return to negotiations” means “negotiations by accepting all Saudi / UAE preconditions”.

(A P)

Federalization would bring equality to Yemen

When UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said that the Houthis need to be part of the political process, but they can’t be 3 percent of the population yet claim through the barrel of a gun to own 50 percent of the country, he was entirely correct. The future of Yemen as the Hodeidah operation continues is now front and center. Are there any immediate observations that help forecast Yemen’s future?

First, there is the requirement to understand the Houthi economic model.

The post-Hodeidah environment means the Houthis will have to seek a survival strategy as Sanaa is squeezed tighter and tighter. This fact means we are approaching a point where the Houthis are likely to increase their ballistic missile launches against Saudi Arabia and possibly the UAE in a sign of desperation, but also using such tactics to extract possible concessions during negotiations.

It is hoped that the current campaign creates the appropriate conditions for the Houthis to recognize that their lifeline is now broken. Fighting is going to move into Yemen’s northern highlands in order to expand the security and safety zone for aid distribution and the avoidance of attacks on deliveries – by Dr. Theodore Karasik, senior adviser to Gulf State Analytics in Washington, D.C

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1327736

My comment: US think tanks as Saudi mouthpieces.

(A P)

More Saudi / UAE “We are benefactors” propaganda

http://gulftoday.ae/portal/36d53b03-f938-4ac3-b946-0e271d00ebf9.aspx

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/first-saudi-relief-airlift-al-hudaydah-arrives-aden and https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/1011859400879955969

cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids

(* A K pH)

Saudi coalition air raids day by day:

June 26: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1530102456./1057830064367358/?type=3

June 25: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1530016451./1056866094463755/?type=3

June 24: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1530016451./1055751157908582/?type=3

(* A K pH)

7 civilians killed, 4 injured in Saudi-led airstrike on Yemen’s Hodeidah

Seven civilians were killed and four injured when the US-backed Saudi-led coalition aggression on Wednesday launched an air strike on Hodeidah province, an official told Saba News Agency.
The warplane of aggression waged the strike on Rabsah area of Hok district, added the official.

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news500168.htm

photos: https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/1011996859299192833

(* A K pH)

9 civilians killed, 11 injured in Saudi-led airstrike on Yemen’s Hodeidah

Nine civilians were killed and 11 injured when the Us-backed Saudi-led aggression coalition on Tuesday launched an airstrike on a bus, carrying displaced people, in Hodeidah province, a security official told Saba News Agency.

The air strike targeted the bus in the road between Jarahi and Zabid districts, added the official.

Five of the killing civilians and 11 of injuring were identified, the official said.

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news500061.htm

and

(* A K pH)

Nine people killed, nearly dozen injured as Saudi-led jets hit bus in Yemen

At least nine civilians have been killed and nearly a dozen others sustained injuries after warplanes belonging to a Saudi-led military coalition struck a bus carrying internally displaced persons (IDP) in war-battered Yemen’s western province of Hudaydah.

Yemen's Arabic-language al-Masirah satellite television network, citing its correspondence in the area, reported on Tuesday that the deadly airstrike hit the bus on a road linking the two towns of Jarrahi and Zabid earlier in the day, adding that three of the dead had been torn to pieces beyond recognition.

The report further said that at least 11 other people onboard the ill-fated bus had been wounded in the aerial aggression.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/06/26/566156/Yemen-Saudi-Arabia-Hudaydah-

photos: https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/posts/1835563683406284

https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/1011631504177422337

http://www.newnewss.net/nine-yemeni-civilians-killed-as-us-saudi-jets-bombed-a-bus-in-yemens-hodeida-photos/

http://en.abna24.com/news/middle-east/fresh-saudi-led-warplanes%E2%80%99-crime-in-hodeidah-everybody-completely-burned-cut-in-to-piece-video-pics-18_899361.html

films: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4-4UtaWPYs = https://twitter.com/Maddllock2/status/1011718720786452480

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2Mj4zK5Sds

and

(* A K)

Saudi-led Coalition Air Raid 'Mistakenly' Kills 9 Yemeni Civilians, Wounds 11 Others

At least nine civilians were “mistakenly” killed on Tuesday and another 11 wounded in an air raid by the Saudi-led coalition in western Yemen’s Hudaydah province, a local military source said.

The coalition’s fighter jets struck a bus carrying displaced people near a checkpoint for Yemen’s Houthi militia in Mati in Al-Jarrahi directorate, said the source, who spoke to Anadolu Agency anonymously due to restrictions on speaking to media.

The target was the Houthis at the checkpoint, the source added.

No immediate statement has been issued yet by the coalition over the incident.

https://www.albawaba.com/news/saudi-led-coalition-air-raid-mistakenly-kills-9-yemeni-civilians-wounds-11-others-1150882

My comment: Even if this would be true, this confession shows again: All self-defensory claims of “precise targeting” and cautious warfare sparing civilians are propaganda nonsense.

(A K pH)

Civilian killed in Saudi-led airstrike on Hodeidah

A civilian was killed and another injured when the US-backed Saudi-led aggression coalition warplane on Tuesday launched a strike on Hodiedah province, an official told Saba News agency.
The air strike targeted a main road in Zabid district

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news500058.htm

(* A K pH)

More Saudi coalition air raids recorded on:

June 26:

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news500093.htm Saada p.

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news500088.htm Taiz p.

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news500060.htm Lahj p.

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news500063.htm Hodeidah p.

June 25:

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news499901.htm Hodeidah p.

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news499900.htm Saada p.

(A K pH)

This is the telecommunication building in Amran city north Yemen. Where US-Saudi war criminals hit with many airstrikes yesterday after killing/injuring 28 while sleeping in their houses in the same the street. (photos)

https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/1011660384107982849

and

(A K pH)

Telecommunications Corporation condemns targeting its branch in Amran

The General Corporation for Telecommunications condemned the targeting he targeting of building of its branch in Amran province by two of US-backed Saudi-led aggression coalition airstrikes.
A ministry official told the Saba news agency that the two airstrikes caused a total destruction of the technical and storage buildings and completely destroyed the building and offices of the Corporation’s branch in the province, disrupting the main Central from service.
The official blamed the aggression countries the responsibility of targeting of facilities and sites of telecommunications and telephone networks as civil service facilities, stressing on that the attack is a war crime, and contrary to the conventions and international treaties related to the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news499971.htm

Remark: For this raid, YPR 427, cp16.

(A K pH)

Video: I was in #Hodeidah #Hodeida city west #Yemen I visited the site to see aftermath of #Saudi #UAE strikes on 20th of June on a truck that killed&injured 10 civilians An entire building blocks with shops in the ground floor caught fire. .. the truck was carrying car tires

https://twitter.com/HussainBukhaiti/status/1012143692457660416

Remark: Earlier reporting; the raid happened June, 20.

cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War

Siehe / Look at cp1b2 (Hodeidah)

(A K pS)

Two #children were killed in landmines planted by the #Houthi militia fighters in al-Wahbiah area of al-Sawadiah district in the central province of al-Bayda.

https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1011999422513926144

(A K pS)

With support of Arab Coalition air cover and forces, Yemeni army, joint resistance forces control strategic mountain chains in Lahej, Taiz, killing dozens of Houthi militiamen

The Yemeni army and joint resistance forces, backed by the Saudi-led Arab Coalition forces and fighter jets, have made a series of victories in the Karsh front towards Al Rahda in the Governorate of Luhaj, south of Yemen.

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1779356

Remark: As claimed by Saudi Press Agency.

(A K pH)

Saada prov.: artillery and missile shells were fired toward several areas of Monabeh border district, damaging residents’ properties.

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news499900.htm

Vorige / Previous:

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-427-yemen-war-mosaic-427

Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-427 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-427:

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/

http://www.yemenwar.info/

Dieser Beitrag gibt die Meinung des Autors wieder, nicht notwendigerweise die der Redaktion des Freitag.
Geschrieben von

Dietrich Klose

Vielfältig interessiert am aktuellen Geschehen, zur Zeit besonders: Ukraine, Russland, Jemen, Rolle der USA, Neoliberalismus, Ausbeutung der 3. Welt

Dietrich Klose

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