... Sicherheit im Jemen – BAE verkaufte im Jemenkrieg den Saudis Waffen für 15 Milliarden Pfund – Jemen und Coronavirus – und mehr
April 15, 2020: New statistics of Saudi war crimes – The twofold catastrophe: Aid cut and Coronavirus – Saudi-Arabia tries to leave the Yemen War – Security in Yemen – During the Yemen War, BAE sold £15 bn worth of arms to Saudi Arabia – Yemen and Coronavirus – and more
Schwerpunkte / Key aspects
Kursiv: Siehe Teil 2 / In Italics: Look in part 2: https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-642b-yemen-war-mosaic-642b
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
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle
cp2 Allgemein / General
cp2a Allgemein: Saudische Blockade / General: Saudi blockade
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
cp6 Separatisten und Hadi-Regierung im Südjemen / Separatists and Hadi government in Southern Yemen
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
cp8a Jamal Khashoggi
cp9 USA
cp9a USA-Iran Krise: Spannungen am Golf / US-Iran crisis: Tensions at the Gulf
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
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
***
**
*
(Kein Stern / No star)
? = Keine Einschatzung / No rating
A = Aktuell / Current news
B = Hintergrund / Background
C = Chronik / Chronicle
D = Details
E = Wirtschaft / Economy
H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions
K = Krieg / War
P = Politik / Politics
pH = Pro-Houthi
pS = Pro-Saudi
T = Terrorismus / Terrorism
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
Ältere einführende Artikel u. Überblicke für alle, die mit den Ereignissen im Jemen noch nicht vertraut sind, hier:
Yemen War: Older introductory articles, overviews, for those who are still unfamiliar with the Yemen war here:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-einfuehrende-artikel-u-ueberblicke
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
(** B K pH)
Legal Center Publishes Statistic of US-Saudi Crimes in Yemen
The Legal Center for Rights and Development exposed the crimes and violations of the US-Saudi aggression in Yemen for five years which it resulted in killing and injuring 41,476 people, including women and children.
The center clarified in its statistics that "the aggression caused the death of 16,75 people, including three thousand and 931 children, two thousand and 462 women." The statistic indicated that 25,401 people were injured, including four thousand and 220 children, three thousand and 39 women, and 428,828 houses were damaged and destroyed.
It showed that the aggression also caused, in five years, the destruction of 15 airports, 14 ports, 739 water tanks and water networks, 442 networks and communication stations, two thousand, 700 bridges and roads, thousand and 832 government installations, 193 stations and electricity generators.
The statistic stated that the aggression targeted 953 mosques, 360 tourist establishments, 344 hospitals and health facilities, 130 sports facilities and 914 schools and institutes, and it caused the destruction of 41 media facilities, 76 university facilities, 219 archaeological landmarks, four thousand and 134 agricultural fields.
The report showed damage to economic facilities. Noting that the aggression destroyed 355 factories, 370 fuel stations, 652 commercial markets, 266 fuel tankers, seven thousand and 819 commercial facilities, four thousand and 199 transportation, 774 food stores, 349 chicken and livestock farms, 642 food trucks and 454 fishing boats.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=12310
and also https://irannewsdaily.com/2020/04/ngo-16000-civilians-killed-in-saudi-war-on-yemen/
(** B H P)
Coronavirus and aid cuts: Yemen faces 'two disasters at once'
Yemenis fear for their future as UN announces a halving of aid supplies and country declares first coronavirus case
“It is very difficult to face two disasters at once," Ahmed al-Matari, a Sanaa labourer said, as Yemenis in the war-torn country braced for a likely spread of the novel coronavirus.
"We have been thinking how to face the shortage of food aid and we may not find enough food, but to hear that coronavirus has hit Yemen, that's very difficult."
The appearance of the virus in the war-torn country is the latest blow to the country following an announcement from the World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday that later this week it will halve the aid it gives to people in parts of Yemen controlled by the Houthis.
Donors say they are cutting funding over concerns the rebels are hindering aid deliveries.
Impossible to stay at home
Matari goes to look for work every day to eke out a living for his seven family members, but he says there is not enough work nowadays and that he works for just one week a month at best.
“After 2015, there was still not enough work opportunities but the humanitarian aid reduced our suffering,” Matari told Middle East Eye, adding that the organisations provided him with food and he paid for the other basic commodities.
Now, with the threat of coronavirus spreading, he fears that many of his neighbours and relatives who receive food will suffer if aid is curtailed.
“If organisations reduce their aid in normal days, we can work and pay for the most important food," he said.
“But if they are going to reduce food amid the coronavirus, we will starve to death in our houses.”
Matari, who is in his late 40s, said it was impossible for him to stay at home if authorities asked him to, as he has no sources of income except from working and the humanitarian aid.
“Corona is a big threat and it came at the wrong time," he said.
"In this situation we need organisations to double their assistance as they will be the only resource of food, but unluckily they will instead reduce their aid.
“I hope that my message reachers organisations and authorities to solve their disputes and double their work in the coming months.
“If we have enough food we can stay at home and protect ourselves from corona but if we do not have enough we will go out to look for food."
'Lowest levels of immunity in the world'
One of the biggest fears regarding the coronavirus threat is how the country's already weakened population, may of them solely reliant on WFP aid, will respond.
“After five years of war, people across the country have some of the lowest levels of immunity and highest levels of acute vulnerability in the world,” said Lise Grande, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Yemen.
“What’s facing Yemen is frightening. More people who become infected are likely to become severely ill than anywhere else.
“Only half of all health facilities are currently functioning. Fighting the virus is going to be hard, but it’s our highest priority.”
Matari agrees that many Yemenis, including his own children, do not have strong immunity to face the coronavirus as they do not eat properly but “only eat enough food to keep them alive”.
Water not awareness
Among the most vulnerable people to the virus at this time are the displaced families who have fled their homes over the years of fighting, with many of them now living in makeshift camps which struggle to provide basic services.
“We received [coronavirus] awareness from some aid workers and they stressed hand washing but in this camp we do not have water to wash our hands several times a day,” Ali Tallal, who has been displaced from Hodeidah to Sanaa, told MEE.
The 39-year-old lives in a camp on the outskirts of the capital where they bring water from a mosque, and where aid organisations also sometimes provide them with water.
“Instead of the awareness we need organisations to fill the water tank in the camp on a daily basis and then we can wash our hands and stay safe,” he said.
Like all displaced people in the camp, Tallal is unemployed and depends on aid organisations and on his children who beg in the markets.
“Unfortunately, we resorted to ask our children to beg so they can help us to feed the family. If they do not beg we will starve to death as we do not have any other source of income," he said.
“Corona will be the main threat for us as our children are moving in the markets to beg and if they do not do that we can't find food.”
Tallal called on organisations to provide them with enough food and water so they can stay in their camps and will not have to go out to the markets.
Fadhl Mohammed, a professor of sociology in Taiz, said the coming period will be very difficult so the authorities and organisations need to work together to help Yemenis.
“The economic situation is very difficult and many people can’t buy food, water or even soap, so the suffering in Yemen will be the worst," he told MEE.
“In Europe, Covid-19 is killing thousands and they have good health systems, and people can buy food and stay at home, but in Yemen most Yemenis can’t stock-up food for a week.”
Mohammed called on authorities to take the hunger of the poorest people into consideration and try to implement a proper solution now.
"If authorities do not prepare the best solution for hungry people, there will be a catastrophe,” he said.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/coronavirus-yemen-faces-aid-cuts-pandemic-spreading
and
(* B H P)
UNOCHA: Of the @UN’s 41 humanitarian programs in Yemen, 31 will either reduce or shut in April unless funding is URGENTLY received. The #COVID19 threat will only aggravate a fragile situation. This will be devastating for the nearly 14M people who depend on humanitarian aid each month!
https://twitter.com/UNOCHA/status/1249858141308715009
(** B K P)
Saudi Arabia is preparing to end the war in Yemen
The coronavirus outbreak may give Riyadh a convenient excuse to exit the Yemeni conflict.
The ceasefire is an indication that Riyadh may be preparing to end its involvement in the war and sue for peace. This dovetails with the United Arab Emirates' decision in July 2019 to withdraw its troops, leaving southern Yemen in the hands of its allies in the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and forces loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
By now it has become clear to Saudi Arabia and its allies that they cannot win the war in Yemen and that they urgently need an exit strategy. The coronavirus pandemic provides a convenient opportunity to save face by declaring an end to hostilities on humanitarian grounds.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is eager to pull out of Yemen so he can focus his energies on addressing the growing economic crisis at home and the threat of an unmanageable COVID-19 outbreak. Most of all, he wants to ensure that his ascendance to the throne, once his father departs the scene, goes smoothly.
During the past year, the frontline in Yemen has hardly moved.
While the main frontline remained unchanged, a new one emerged over the past year, as tensions between forces loyal to Hadi and the STC have escalated.
The UAE's abandonment of the joint war effort in Yemen and its pursuit of rapprochement with Iran further convinced Saudi Arabia that it was time to seek an exit from the five-year-old conflict.
But perhaps the biggest factor in the decision to seek an end to hostilities in Yemen was the domestic situation in the kingdom, which over the past few weeks, has seriously deteriorated.
Of utmost concern to the Saudi leadership today is the spread of the coronavirus. Officially there are some 3,600 people infected with COVID-19 and 50 dead, but there are fears that the true scale of the outbreak is much bigger.
The country is also experiencing a severe economic crisis due to the pandemic-induced global economic downturn and the collapse in oil prices. Oil exports account for 80 percent of its revenues and the near halving in oil prices has significantly reduced the flow of funds to the state coffers.
This has necessitated swift austerity measures.
Considering the sudden collapse in oil revenue, it is hard to know what will become of MBS's hallmark "Vision 2030" which has been touted as the kingdom's grand reform project.
The Houthis' increasing ability to strike military and civilian targets along the border and deep into Saudi territory also rattled the Saudi public.
All of these considerations have compelled MBS to seek peace in Yemen. Yet even that may prove to be a challenge. The Houthis, emboldened by the Saudi and Emirati retreat, rejected the ceasefire and continued attacks on Hadi forces. The group demands the lifting of the siege on Yemen imposed by the Saudi-led coalition.
The declared ceasefire is therefore likely to remain unilateral. The Saudis are uninterested in returning to their previous level of involvement in the war. They will, however, respond with aerial assaults on Houthi positions if the latter attack across the border.
The Houthis, on the other hand, may use the ceasefire to try to expand their sway over areas controlled by the Hadi government. With the Saudis busy with their own troubles, the Houthis may feel that now is the time to push for concessions to improve their position in negotiating Yemen's future – by Imad K. Harb
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/saudi-arabia-preparing-war-yemen-200412155912401.html
and
(** B K P)
Saudi Arabia wants out of Yemen
Saudi Arabia’s pursuit of a unilateral cease-fire in Yemen reflects the kingdom’s dire economic and social crisis caused by the pandemic and the fall in oil prices
The Houthis want a complete lifting of the blockade of Yemen, the “siege,” as they call it. They are right to do so: The country urgently needs to import food and medicine.
The Houthis are no angels. They have taxed humanitarian assistance from the outside, repressed journalists, and fired missiles at civilian targets in Saudi Arabia. The answer is not to reduce aid, as the Trump administration is doing, but to end the blockade and open the country to outside help and the media. The United States should engage directly with the Houthis.
Saudi Arabia is facing its own humanitarian crisis now, due to the pandemic. The country is effectively shut down indefinitely, with curfews in Riyadh and other cities. The pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina is closed, and the annual hajj scheduled for July is already suspended. Religious tourism is a major source of income for the country, especially the Hejaz region. The Saudis have the worst case of the virus in the six Gulf states. The royal family has been hit hard, and the governor of Riyadh is in the hospital with the disease.
The dramatic contraction in global economic activity has produced an unprecedented drop in demand for oil and energy. The Saudis need oil prices at $85 per barrel to balance their budget — it’s barely a quarter of that now.
Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman’s “Saudi Vision 2030” is now a mirage.
The combination of the virus and the collapse of oil prices is producing the worst economic crisis in the kingdom since the Great Depression of the 1930s. It urgently needs to stop the hemorrhage of resources into the quagmire in Yemen.
The Saudis are suing for peace. They have no realistic alternative to giving most of Yemen to the Houthis with the specter of an Iranian proxy on their southern border – by Bruce Riedel
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2020/04/13/saudi-arabia-wants-out-of-yemen/
and
(** B K P)
Unbezahlbarer Krieg: Warum Saudi-Arabien einen Weg sucht, den Jemen zu verlassen
Analyse der russischen Nachrichtenagentur TASS.
Das Coronavirus und niedrige Ölpreise könnten Riad zwingen, seine Politik in der Region zu ändern.
Während seiner fünfjährigen Beteiligung am Jemen-Konflikt hat Saudi-Arabien wiederholt vorübergehende Waffenstillstände angekündigt. Aber die aktuelle Situation könnte der Versuch von Riad sein, seine Streitkräfte im Jemen zu reduzieren oder sogar zu versuchen, den verlustreichen Krieg zu verlassen.
Die Koalition erklärte auch, dass die vorübergehende Waffenruhe der Beginn von Verhandlungen zwischen der von Saudi-Arabien unterstützten Regierung und den Rebellen der Bewegung „Ansar Allah“ sein könnten.
Ein dekorativer Waffenstillstand
Saudi-Arabiens Entscheidung, die Feindseligkeiten in der Region auszusetzen, bedeutet nicht, dass Frieden im Jemen einkehren wird. Im Gegenteil. Ohne internationale Unterstützung werden die Regierungstruppen zu einem leichteren Ziel für die Rebellen, die bereits in die Offensive gegangen sind.
Wie die saudische Zeitung Al Riyadh letzte Woche berichtete,startete die Ansar-Allah-Bewegung, nachdem die Waffenruhe verkündet worden ist, Raketenangriffe auf die Städte Marib und Hodeida und versuchte auch, ein Militärlager in der Provinz Al-Jawf zurückzuerobern.
Gleichzeitig spricht „Ansar Allah“ davon, sich an die Waffenruhe halten zu wollen, besteht aber auf dem Abzug aller ausländischen Truppen aus dem Jemen. Die Kriegsziele der Rebellen ändern sich ständig, aber offensichtlich wollen sie zumindest Teil der Regierungskoalition werden und wahrscheinlich fordern sie die Kontrolle über den Norden des Landes, einschließlich Sanaa.
Englischer Abschied
Als Saudi-Arabien 2015 die Operation im Jemen begann, setzte es auf einen schnellen und siegreichen Krieg.
„Wie die Emirate möchten die Saudis verkünden, dass „dieser Krieg für uns vorbei ist“, sagte ein westlicher Beamter, der mit Riads Plänen in der Region vertraut ist, der Nachrichtenagentur AFP. „Aber die Situation vor Ort ist sehr schwierig.“
Wenn Saudi-Arabien den Krieg jetzt beendet, würde das bedeuten, dass das Königreich Milliarden von Dollar und das Leben seiner Soldaten umsonst verschwendet hat. Der Ausweg aus der Sackgasse könnte einen Vereinbarung mit den Houthis sein. Dass es einen inoffiziellen Kommunikationskanal zwischen den Parteien gibt, wurde bereits im November 2019 gemeldet.
Das Königreich wird nicht in der Lage sein, den Krieg unter den gegenwärtigen Bedingungen fortzusetzen. Der weltweite Rückgang der Nachfrage nach Öl aufgrund des Coronavirus hat den Haushalt des Landes schwer getroffen. Darüber hinaus verlassen inmitten der Pandemie die Mitarbeiter des britischen Rüstungsunternehmens BAE Systems, die saudische Bomber gewartet haben, das Land. Das hat die Fähigkeit, die Luftangriffe fortzusetzen, drastisch verringert.
Nicht tragbare Kosten
Die wirtschaftlichen Herausforderungen verzögern Saudi-Arabiens Pläne zur Modernisierung des Landes. Die Liquiditätslücke stellt die Umsetzung des Programms Vision 2030 von Kronprinz Mohammed bin Salman in Frage. Es geht um die Diversifizierung der Ölwirtschaft des Königreichs, die Reform des Gesundheitswesens, der Bildung, der Infrastruktur und die Verbesserung des Lebensstandards der Bürger. Derzeit hängen 80 Prozent der Einnahmen Riads vom Öl ab. Angesichts eines Ölpreises von knapp über 30 Dollar pro Barrel verkündete Saudi-Arabien, dass es die Staatsausgaben senken würde, solange es seine Devisenreserven nutzen muss, um die Wirtschaft vor dem Hintergrund der Schließung von Unternehmen im ganzen Land wegen der Pandemie aufrechtzuerhalten.
Unter diesen Umständen scheinen die Kosten für die die Entsendung des Militärs in den Krieg im Jemen Verschwendung zu sein.
https://www.anti-spiegel.ru/2020/unbezahlbarer-krieg-warum-saudi-arabien-einen-weg-sucht-den-jemen-zu-verlassen/ = https://linkezeitung.de/2020/04/15/unbezahlbarer-krieg-warum-saudi-arabien-einen-weg-sucht-den-jemen-zu-verlassen/
and
(** B K P)
Is Saudi Arabia Looking for an Exit from Yemen?
After bombing Yemeni civilians for years, Saudi leaders may use COVID-19 as a cynical excuse to pave the way for a progressive exit from the war.
When we confront the stated objectives of the Saudi-led coalition in launching Operation Decisive Storm with the situation on the ground five years later, it is evident that the offensive was everything but decisive, at least not in the intended sense. We may leave aside all the claims about protecting the Yemeni population and restoring Hadi’s legitimate government. The high number of civilian casualties caused by the coalition’s airstrikes proved the hypocrisy of the first claim, while the increasing subordination of President Hadi to Riyadh’s whims eroded even further his legitimacy within Yemen.
Quagmire
Yemen has become a quagmire for Saudi Arabia. This description appears quite illustrative, since the more Riyadh has engaged in Yemen military, the further it has found itself from achieving its vaguely-defined objectives. It is easier to start a war than to find a way out of one, and the de facto Saudi ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is learning the lesson the hard way
A Cynical Excuse
There are solid reasons to argue that the Saudi leadership has by now realized it cannot emerge from Yemen victorious. The withdrawal of Emirati troops from southern Yemen at the end of last year, along with the infighting between southern separatists and troops loyal to President Hadi that had previously focused on fighting the Houthis, weakened Saudi Arabia’s position.
The situation could further deteriorate if COVID-19 spreads after the first case was reported days ago. The recent ceasefire announced by Riyadh has in fact been framed as a response to UN calls for a cessation of hostilities in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. After bombing Yemeni civilians for years, Saudi leaders may use COVID-19 as a cynical excuse to pave the way for a progressive exit from Yemen. If Yemen is ever to go back to a semblance of peace, it is necessary, but not sufficient, for Saudi Arabia to realize that it cannot emerge victorious from this quagmire – By Marc Martorell Junyent
(** B H P)
Security in Yemen: SECURITY SECTOR REFORM AND PEACE-BUILDING.
The Yemen Polling Center (YPC) started its security program in 2012 with the assistance of the EU Delegation to Yemen when the center began researching different facets of the Yemeni security sector and popular perceptions on security and police work. Since then we have implemented three consecutive security related project funded by the EU.
http://www.yemenpolling.org/portfolio-items/security/?platform=hootsuite
Film: Improving Women's Security in Yemen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skQZkI4QHjg
(Human) Insecurity in a Fragmented State
[already presented in Yemen War Mosaic 636, cp1]
http://www.yemenpolling.org/4396/
The State of the Police in Western Yemen
Across the country, Yemenis share the desire for functioning security institutions. In a survey conducted by the Yemen Polling Center (YPC) in 2019 about police-related issues, 61 percent of respondents across Yemen indicated that they wanted the police to have authority; nearly 45 percent indicated they wanted police to have authority over security provision. Yet this is far from the reality in Yemen today, where the state lacks the capacity to create a unified police on many different levels.
Civil war and foreign military intervention, as well as pre-existing societal and political differences in Yemen, have fragmented the state into several territories with competing and sometimes overlapping authorities and interests. This has led to a complex security arrangement in Yemen. Police capacity thus depends on the group that claims authority in their respective area. While some capacity deficits are crosscutting, others are unique to particular regions.
Continuity, Collapse and Fragmentation
Ansarallah took over police structures and placed so-called supervisors within the institutions to shadow police officers and learn the craft of state administration. On the governorate and district level, supervisors have a similar function as the aqil or governor, and supervisors are also reported to interfere in and perform police work.4 Thirty-four percent of the residents in Ansarallah-held areas say supervisors are active in a negative way. Many police officers simply transitioned from the previous authority under President Hadi to another under Ansarallah. In the context of the salary crisis, Ansarallah were able to attract further support by funding police structures.5 Countless officers were also replaced and marginalized due to their lack of loyalty.6 Police officers across Ansarallah-controlled areas of Yemen told YPC that the police have become weak and marginalized under the rule of Ansarallah and that the “real” role of the police should be restored.
In al-Hodeidah, in Yemen’s west, which has been under Ansarallah’s control since 2014, police officers interviewed by YPC confirmed that their old leadership hasremained in place, but that leadership has very little practical power in the wake of Ansarallah’s takeover.
In tribal areas, such as Marib, tribes often coordinate with the police in order to maintain security.
Low Capacity, but Functioning
Corruption is widespread in Yemen. Security institutions have historically served as a mechanism for elites to enrich themselves and as a result, Yemenis have long cited corruption and nepotism as being the main factor accounting for their lack of trust in the police.16 That police salaries are dismally low or nonexistent has only exacerbated this problem. Since the 2015 war began, and with it the collapse of national level state institutions, police officers have gone long periods without salaries, especially in Ansarallah-held territory.
Police stations not only lack operational budgets, but there is also a significant shortage of equipment in general. Although police stations in urban areas are privileged, most district police stations do not have the most basic equipment needed for them to operate effectively.
Support for Local Police
Yemenis want to restore stability to state security institutions. Fifty percent of respondents told YPC that they would feel more secure if there were more police in their area. The sense of insecurity has risen among civilians in all Yemen’s 22 governorates – by Shaima Bin Othman and Mareike Transfeld
http://www.yemenpolling.org/4325/
http://yemenpolling.org/advocacy/upfiles/The_State_of_the_Police_in_Western_Yemen_LK.pdf
SHUYYUKH, POLICEMEN AND SUPERVISORS: YEMEN’S COMPETING SECURITY PROVIDERS
[already presented in Yemen War Mosaic 636, cp1]
http://www.yemenpolling.org/shuyyukh-policemen-and-supervisors-yemens-competing-security-providers/ = https://carnegie-mec.org/2020/03/27/shuyyukh-policemen-and-supervisors-yemen-s-competing-security-providers-pub-81385
(** B E K P)
Britischer Waffenriese verkaufte beim Jemen-Krieg Waffen im Wert von 15 Mrd. GBP an Saudi-Arabien
Es wurde festgestellt, dass Großbritanniens führender Waffenhersteller Waffen im Wert von über 15 Mrd. GBP an Saudi-Arabien verkauft hat
Der Guardian veröffentlichte am Dienstag einen Nachrichtenartikel, in dem Daten aus dem jüngsten Jahresbericht von BAE Systems (British Aerospace Electronic Systems) zitiert wurden, der neulich auch von der britischen Kampagne gegen den globalen Waffenhandel (Campaign Against Arms Trade, CAAT) analysiert wurde.
In der Summe sind Einnahmen in Höhe von 2,5 Mrd. GBP enthalten, die das Unternehmen 2019 aus saudischen Waffenverkäufen erzielt hat. Der Verkauf erfolgte trotz einer Entscheidung des britischen Berufungsgerichts im Juni letzten Jahres, wonach alle britischen Waffenexporte, die gegen den Jemen eingesetzt werden könnten, eingestellt werden sollten.
Andrew Smith von der CAAT sagte dazu: „In den letzten fünf Jahren gab es eine brutale humanitäre Krise für die Menschen im Jemen, aber für BAE war es ein normales Geschäft. Der Krieg war nur möglich, weil Rüstungsunternehmen und mitschuldige Regierungen bereit waren, ihn zu unterstützen. “
Die Daten zeigten ferner, dass der wahre Wert der Waffenverkäufe Großbritanniens an Saudi-Arabien weit über dem Gesamtwert der Exportlizenzen des Landes von 5,3 Mrd. GBP seit März 2015 liegt. Diese Differenz ist auf die Tatsache zurückzuführen, dass Waffen auch unter offenen Lizenzen an das saudische Königreich verkauft wurden, die den Verkauf genehmigen, ohne die Kosten unter der offiziellen Exportsumme zu erfassen.
„Diese Zahlen belegen die vertrauliche Beziehung zwischen dem saudischen Regime und BAE. Sie implizieren aber auch, dass der Wert der Waffenverkäufe in Großbritannien weitaus höher ist als die Regierungszahlen zeigen“, fügte Smith hinzu. Riad ist der drittgrößte Käufer von BAE.
(** B E K P)
BAE Systems sold £15bn worth of arms to Saudis during Yemen assault
Campaigners also allege latest export values imply UK arms sales greater than government’s declared figures
Britain’s leading arms manufacturer BAE Systems sold £15bn worth of arms and services to the Saudi military during the last five years, the period covered by Riyadh’s involvement in the deadly bombing campaign in the war in Yemen.
Figures taken from the company’s most recent annual report and newly analysed by the Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) reveal the British arms maker generated £2.5bn in revenues from the Saudi military during the whole of 2019.
That takes the total sales of BAE arms and services to the Saudi military for the period between 2015 and 2019 – including the period from the start of the Saudi bombing in March 2015 – to slightly over £15bn, or 17.3% over the five years.
Andrew Smith of CAAT said: “The last five years have seen a brutal humanitarian crisis for the people of Yemen, but for BAE it’s been business as usual. The war has only been possible because of arms companies and complicit governments willing to support it.”
The data also reveals that the true value of British arms sales to the Gulf kingdom is far greater than the £5.3bn total value of UK export licences since the Saudi-led coalition began its campaign in Yemen.
The apparent discrepancy is caused by the fact that official export total does not include the value of arms sold to Saudi Arabia via so called open licences, which allow a wide range of hardware to be included without their cost recorded.
“These figures expose the cozy relationship between the Saudi regime and BAE. But they also imply that the value of UK arms sales is far greater than government figures show,” Smith added.
At other times, British support for Saudi Arabia has been overt. Five years ago, at the outset of the conflict, Philip Hammond, then Britain’s foreign secretary, declared: “Britain will support the Saudi-led assault on Yemeni rebels in every practical way short of engaging in combat.”
BAE maintains and supplies Tornado jet aircraft to the kingdom’s airforce and provides “operational capability” to the country’s air and naval forces. Sales to Saudi Arabia accounts for 35% of the company’s air division, the largest single destination for its military aircraft.
The company’s relationship with Saudi Arabia is structured via massive multi-year contracts signed between the UK and the Saudi governments, in which BAE is effectively a sub-contractor, its revenues partly guaranteed by the involvement of the British state.
The Saudi military is BAE’s third largest customer overall, after the US Department of Defence and the UK’s Ministry of Defence.
A BAE Systems spokesperson said: “We provide defence equipment, training and support under government to government agreements between the UK and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We comply with all relevant export control laws and regulations in the countries in which we operate and our activities are subject to UK government approval and oversight.” – by Dan Sabbagh
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Coronavirus und Seuchen / Most important: Coronavirus and epidemics
Siehe / Look at cp1
(* B H K)
Vor dem Kollaps
Erster Coronafall im Jemen. WHO warnt vor »Explosion der Zahlen«. Möglicher Ausbruch der Epidemie hängt wie Damoklesschwert über Kriegsland
[Bisher] war der Jemen das letzte Land ohne Coronavirusfälle.
Einerseits kann dieser Umstand mit der nahezu hermetischen Land-, Luft- und Seeblockade erklärt werden, die die Koalition dem Jemen seit Kriegsbeginn im Frühjahr 2015 auferlegt hat. Schließlich geht maximale Isolation vom Rest der Welt mit einem minimierten Transmissionsrisiko einher. Andererseits ließen fünf Jahre erbarmungslosen Bombardements ein stark zerstörtes Gesundheitssystem zurück, was die Frage aufwirft, ob potentielle Fälle im Jemen auch nur im Ansatz detektiert werden könnten. Die WHO warnt vor einer »Explosion der Zahlen«, sollte das Virus sich einmal ausbreiten. Was Jahre saudisch-emiratischer Kriegsverbrechen nicht zu erreichen vermochten, hängt mit dem drohenden Coronavirusausbruch nun wie ein Damoklesschwert über dem Jemen: der vollständige Kollaps des Landes.
Es kann nur gehofft werden, dass sich die Anschuldigung, Saudi-Arabien wolle den Jemen vorsätzlich mit Corona infizieren, als unzutreffend herausstellt. Es wäre nicht die erste Falschnachricht, die in dem Krieg verbreitet wurde. Doch nicht zuletzt die Geschwindigkeit, mit der sich die Warnung in den »sozialen Medien» verbreitete, belegt die tiefsitzende Paranoia in der Bevölkerung und die Angst vor künftigen Greueln einer Koalition, die auch nicht davor zurückschreckte, Massenhunger und eine historische Choleraepidemie als Kriegswaffen einzusetzen – von Jakob Reimann
https://www.jungewelt.de/artikel/376447.jemen-vor-dem-kollaps.html
(** B H K P)
Yemen Is Fighting The Coronavirus With A Health Care System America Helped Destroy
President Trump slashed U.S. aid to the country days before its first confirmed COVID-19 case.
The coronavirus is now spreading in Yemen, which announced its first case on Friday.
The coronavirus news panicked Yemenis and aid groups already fighting mass hunger and a yearslong cholera outbreak. And it highlighted that while world powers like the U.S., Britain and France struggle with the novel coronavirus themselves, they bear significant blame for making places like Yemen especially vulnerable to the new global crisis. Those three countries have given extensive support to the Saudis and allies like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), risking complicity in war crimes, according to United Nations investigators.
“We’ve unfortunately played a role … and have a moral responsibility to assist,” said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), part of a bipartisan group of lawmakers making the U.S. role in Yemen a top concern in Congress in recent years.
As the coronavirus spread worldwide and charities warned it could devastate conflict zones, Trump slashed U.S. aid to Yemen on March 27. The U.S. Agency for International Development said it would suspend at least $73 million earmarked for the north of the country, which is controlled by the Houthis.
The U.N. urged other donor countries to continue supporting north Yemen as its agencies and marquee charities like the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children and Islamic Relief prepared to limit operations.
Now that the coronavirus can definitively be added to the long list of Yemen’s problems, aid workers are even more distressed about the consequences of U.S. policy there.
“For weeks we have feared this, and now it’s happened,” Lise Grande, the U.N.’s humanitarian coordinator in the country, said in reaction to Friday’s news. “After five years of war, people across the country have some of the lowest levels of immunity and highest levels of acute vulnerability in the world … more people who become infected are likely to become severely ill than anywhere else.”
One immediate way to give Yemenis a fighting chance would be to end the conflict between Saudi-backed forces and the Houthis.
But rebel leaders say other steps are necessary to build goodwill — notably, an end to the U.S.-backed coalition’s embargo of the areas under Houthi control, which has worsened the risk of famine by driving up prices and slowing down vital imports.
Lifting the blockade would be a crucial step, Khanna said – By Akbar Shahid Ahmed
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/yemen-coronavirus-america_n_5e95f396c5b6044bb74eba3c
(* A B H P)
COVID-19 in Yemen – A Perfect Storm
War-torn Country’s Shattered Health Care System Is No Match for Pandemic
As if Yemen’s protracted armed conflict and humanitarian crisis were not enough, COVID-19 presents an imminent danger that further threatens the country’s people.
Even though only one case of COVID-19 has been reported in Yemen, an outbreak seems inevitable as cases in surrounding countries continue to rise and Yemen’s health care system remains in tatters from the war.
More than half of Yemen’s health facilities are closed or partially functioning.
Unlike airstrikes and bombardment, COVID-19 casualties will be even more difficult to control. Earlier this month, Houthi Health Minister Taha al-Mutawakel warned that a COVID-19 outbreak in Yemen would be “unstoppable” and “extremely deadly.” Even with coordination between the authorities and health groups in the northern, southern, and eastern parts of the country, the minister admitted that no region has the resources and preparedness to deal with COVID-19.
Relief and humanitarian organizations in Yemen report it will be impossible to respond to COVID-19 casualties in the face of fighting and armed groups continuing to block access to humanitarian aid.
COVID-19 could be a greater scourge than anything Yemeni civilians have experienced. For Yemen to have a chance against the disease, parties to the conflict need to take immediate measures to protect civilians in areas under their control, abide by the laws of war, and ensure the unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance – by Afrah Nasser
https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/14/covid-19-yemen-perfect-storm
(* B H K P)
Yemen and Coronavirus
No matter how widely the coronavirus spreads across Yemen, fighting has continued and even escalated in the last two months.
As the coronavirus spreads globally and the international community is preoccupied with the pandemic, some sides within Yemen’s ongoing war are taking advantage of the moment to reopen battlefronts.
Even more troubling, all parties are already using the pandemic as a chance to advance their own agendas.
Meanwhile, five years of warfare have nearly destroyed Yemen’s public health system, compounding suffering among a desperately poor and hungry population. The World Health Organization has provided some support to medical centers in Aden, Sanaa, and Mukala to respond if a case is confirmed. Up to now, there has been just one reported case of the coronavirus; however, many health activists doubt this for two reasons. First, Yemeni medical facilities are not equipped to test suspected cases. Thousands of Yemeni travelers returned to Yemen in the past month from affected countries, including Egypt and China, without being tested at the country’s ports. Second, the warring parties are all eager to hide suspected coronavirus cases, because they hope that low numbers will show their capability to contain the pandemic in their respective areas.
Even more troubling, some factions view the pandemic as an opportunity to recruit more fighters. For instance, some Houthi activists state in their media discourse that “it is better to die a martyr in heroic battles than dying at home from the coronavirus,” and suggest that “being in a battlefront is safer than being at risk in crowded towns.”
All parties are also using the pretext of pandemic prevention and response measures to make money or push their objectives. In some areas, they use the excuse of pandemic prevention to extort money from civilians hoping to be allowed to pass through local checkpoints. Another key source of revenue, aid provided by international nongovernmental organizations, has been instrumentalized in the struggle between the STC and the internationally recognized government in Aden. STC forces held essential coronavirus-related equipment, sent by the WHO, in the port to prevent government medical staff from accessing it. By compelling the international community to deal directly with the STC, the council hopes to gain recognition for its ongoing de facto rule of Aden, which it has been fighting to maintain since last August.
As the war in Yemen enters its sixth year, hopes for peace seem elusive, and the virus will compound the already deep humanitarian crisis. The pandemic diplomacy that the UN envoy has attempted to utilize to bring the actors to the negotiating table is not being taken seriously.
There is little reason to expect that the warring parties will deviate from this approach. Neither external mediation nor the virus can stop this war if none of the Yemeni factions are willing to end it – by Ahmed Nagi
https://carnegieendowment.org/2020/04/14/yemen-and-coronavirus-pub-81534
(A H P)
COVID-19 update: Life in Aden continues, despite looming coronavirus threat
Despite the ban on qat being issued on Saturday, qat markets in the interim capital of Aden functioned normally on Sunday, with fresh qat from Al-Dhale being sold Sunday and Monday. Local residents in the Sheikh Othman district in Aden told Almasdar Online that the two largest qat markets in Aden operated without the intervention of security forces.
Saturday’s order also extended the nightly curfew two more hours, leaving Aden and other areas under the STC’s control confined to their homes from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. in an effort to counter the spread of COVID-19.
It’s not just business as usual in Aden’s qat market. While Aden’s three largest shopping malls have been shuttered, fish and vegetable markets are crowded with hundreds of shoppers as well. Electronics and clothing stores also remain open. Restaurants and cafes are only open for takeaway.
Delayed disbursement of public sector salaries will only weaken efforts to keep people home, a security source told Almasdar Online, as people venture out to find ways to provide food for their families.
While some mosques remain closed, others in Khormaskar, Sheikh Osman, Dar Saad and Mansoura districts remain open to worshippers. Some of these mosques have been distributing disinfectant wipes at the gates of their mosques.
https://al-masdaronline.net/local/639
(* B P)
Fighting COVID-19 goes hand-in-hand with shuttering newspapers across MENA region
Print journalism is a silent victim of the virus
March 23, 2020: In Yemen, the minister of communications from the internationally-recognized Hadi government issued a decree suspending print newspapers as a preventive measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
For readers, these measures negatively impact their right to access information. The ban in Yemen, for example, has an even deeper impact as internet penetration is low at just 25% in 2019, — and mainly concentrated among youth in urban areas. It is not clear how and if print readership will shift to online media and who will fill in this vacuum.
Having access to reliable fact-based information is essential, especially during a crisis when people turn to the media to understand the situation and get practical information. Yet, most governments in the region — perpetuating old authoritarian practices — have instead attempted to control and restrict freedom of expression.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO):
The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low.
Therefore, decisions to shut down print papers is possibly politically motivated and not based on scientific evidence.
(A H P)
COVID-19 update: Hadhramout governorate prepares for more coronavirus infections
A new hospital and quarantine center, dedicated entirely to treating patients with suspected cases of COVID-19, have 150 beds, in addition to 10 intensive care beds and 10 ventilators
https://al-masdaronline.net/local/640
(A H P)
Watch: Houthis say they will shoot and kill people with COVID-19 coronavirus
Houthi militants will shoot and kill anyone diagnosed with the COVID-19 coronavirus to stop the spread of the virus in Yemen, according to a video showing the Iranian-backed fighters making the statements.
“Our best method is to kill in the interest of the rest,” one militant can be heard saying while another agrees with him adding that “there is no treatment, no quarantine, and no procedures that will do, only bullets.”
Film also here. https://twitter.com/faizahsulimani/status/1249973481053265920
My comment: As reported by a Saudi news site. This is either fake or an evident example of militia anarchy.
(A H)
Film (Arabic): Al-Amal Hospital in Aden is a quarantine site to confront Coronavirus
The Presidential Committee for Coronavirus Control chose Al-Amal Hospital in Al-Brega District in Aden, southern Yemen, to be a site for quarantine and confront the Coronavirus, as it is far from the population, where the equipment and training of its personnel will take place in preparation for the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the province.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op2DLkY5Rt8
(A H)
Yemeni artists fight coronavirus through song
Music composer Abdullah Al-Sahl started the #RemoteYemeniArt campaign during self-imposed quarantine following the global COVID-19 outbreak
https://al-masdaronline.net/national/632
(A H P)
Hospital staff monitoring Yemen’s first COVID-19 patient demand stricter safety measures
Health care worker demands at Al-Sheher Hospital include more personal protection equipment, a 24-hour lockdown in the small coastal town and transferring the patient to a quarantine facility in Al-Mukalla city
https://al-masdaronline.net/local/631
(A H P)
Hadhramout governor lifts lockdown on town where Yemen’s first confirmed COVID-19 case found
Hadhrami officials also reopened Saudi border crossing to commercial cargo and humanitarian aid
https://al-masdaronline.net/local/633
(A H P)
Protest in front of #Aden Airport demanding cessation of flights in light of Corona virus
Dozens of citizens carried out a protest in front of the main gate of Aden International Airport, demanding the suspension of flights to the airport in light of the spread of the Corona virus.
(A H P)
Transitional Council Foreign Affairs Directorate addresses US government and international organizations on #Corona pandemic
(A H)
Al-Shabahi warns of epidemic disaster in southern governorates due to poor health situation
Salem Al-Shabahi, Head of Health and Environment committee in the National Assembly, Chairman of the Corona Confrontation Committee in the Transitional Council, warned from an epidemic disaster, if the Corona pandemic reaches the southern governorates, especially the capital Aden.
(A H)
Good move by one of biggest business families in #Yemen stepping up and providing ventilators and #COVIDー19 testing kits to hospitals across country.
https://twitter.com/omeisy/status/1249782550006030336
referring to
Hayel Saeed Anam and Partners Group provides artificial respirators, rapid examination devices and LBCR solutions, in addition to advanced face masks and other medical supplies to counter # Corona in the Republic of Yemen, and it will be distributed to medical facilities in all governorates of the Republic.
https://twitter.com/FaisalSaedFarea/status/1249714322927947776
(B H P)
Film: After registering the first case of Corona in Yemen, learn about the conditions of the [Sanaa government] health quarantines in Al-Bayda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNUQPwkyV-A
My comment: If you do not have Corona, you will get it there.
(B H P)
Film: Saudi Arabia threatens Yemen with the epidemic of Corona Watch how
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHPq4kzzdCQ
(A H P)
496 expatriates depart from quarantine centers in Saada
About 496 expatriates left the quarantine centers in Saada province on Monday after making sure that they are not infected with the Corona virus.
The Governor indicated that the period of quarantine is in the interest of expatriates to protect themselves and their families.
He pointed out that the Saudi regime is trying, through the deportation of Yemeni expatriates and others of Arab and African nationalities, to introduce the Coronavirus to Yemen, but it has failed in this aspect because of the awareness of Yemeni people.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3094019.htm
(* A H)
Film: Coronavirus im Jemen: Viele Tote befürchtet
Einen ersten Corona-Fall hat inzwischen auch der Jemen gemeldet - ein bitterarmes Land, in dem seit mehr als fünf Jahren ein Bürgerkrieg tobt und die humanitäre Lage ohnehin schon dramatisch ist. Beobachter befürchten besonders viele Opfer, sollte sich das Virus dort weiter ausbreiten.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKb2GzLPzzc = https://www.tagesschau.de/multimedia/video/video-687201.html
(B H)
Audio: Yemen is not prepared to face coronavirus
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread in the world, Yemen is among the nations most at risk. Studies by international aid agencies and non-governmental organizations warn that the health care system in Yemen is on the verge of collapse and that the country is experiencing a complex humanitarian emergency. The only way to save millions of lives would be for the US and Saudi Arabia to end their illegal war and inhumane blockade in order to let medical supplies into Yemen (from Iran)
https://parstoday.com/en/radio/programs-i119654-yemen_is_not_prepared_to_face_coronavirus
(* A H P)
War-ravaged Yemen moves to stem spread of virus
The lockdown caused great panic in the city and some hospitals received patients suffering from psychological problems
Authorities in the southeastern Yemeni province of Hadramout have scrambled to contain the spread of coronavirus in the port city of Al-Sheher by imposing further measures, government officials and residents said Saturday.
A curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. was imposed in all cities of the province as health workers recorded the names of those who had come into contact with the patient.
Hadramout Gov. Maj. Gen. Faraj Salmen Al-Bahsani urged residents to comply with the measures and stay indoors as much as they could.
Health authorities believe that the man mixed directly with at least 19 people, including some health workers, and that at least 300 came into contact with his relatives and friends.
“We isolated doctors and health workers who treated the man inside Al-Tayser Hospital in Al-Sheher,” a senior health official told Arab News on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. “We have also increased the number of health teams to trace the people who came into contact with the man.” He added that military vehicles and soldiers were deployed outside the man’s family home and the homes of his relatives after some of them refused to stay indoors.
An awareness campaign was launched in the city to educate people about how to prevent the spread of the disease.
Saeed Al-Moulem, from the Ministry of Health’s office in Al-Sheher, said life had returned to normal on Saturday. People had reopened their businesses as vehicles were seen leaving and crossing into the city.
But some residents blasted local authorities for easing the lockdown, expressing concerns that the disease would spread rapidly if people were allowed to move freely.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1657306/middle-east
(* B H K P)
Coronavirus – The Latest Threat To Yemen
it is unsurprising that the United Nations has dubbed the crisis in Yemen as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, with nearly 80% of the country’s population requiring humanitarian assistance. This can only be worsened by the current coronavirus pandemic, which has wrought havoc on much more stable countries with far superior health systems. On Friday, the country’s first positive test for SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed in the eastern province of Hadramawt – a 60-year-old man from Ash Shihr. In response, all workers at the town’s port have been confined to quarantine for a period of two weeks and the neighbouring province of al-Mahra has shut its border with the region. The severe lack of testing facilities, due mainly to the destruction of civilian infrastructure wrought upon the country in large part by Saudi air-strikes, underscores the country’s precarious predicament. Not even the most advanced countries’ figures accurately reflect the true number of infections there. In a country almost constantly tackling outbreaks of either dengue, diphtheria, or cholera, the chances that the first case of COVID-19 has been identified early are slim to nil.
https://theowp.org/coronavirus-the-latest-threat-to-yemen/
(* B H)
Film: Dave Harden on how the pandemic could affect Yemen during a ceasefire
In countries shattered by war, poverty and hunger, the coronavirus pandemic make things even worse. The situation is especially dire in Yemen. CGTN's Asieh Namdar discusses how COVID-19 could impact the country with Dave Harden, Managing Director of Georgetown Strategy Group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAAfPxM1lsk
(A H)
Health workers in al-Shahr hospital hold a protest in Hadhramaut coast to take the case infected by #COVID19 and move him to the quarantine in al-Mukalla governorate
https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1249522055109844992
(A H P)
The truth about the infection of Saudi soldier in Aden the capital with the Corona virus
The Director of the Moral Guidance Department of the Armed Forces, Brigadier General / Ali Mansour Al-Walidi said: Brigadier General Mujahid Al-Otaibi, commander of the Arab coalition forces in Aden, made it clear that the Saudi soldier is from the Saudi force present in Aden from an ancient period and did not come from the Kingdom, as rumors circulated for that.
He confirmed that the soldier was exposed to a health problem and was subsequently transferred to a hospital in Aden
(A H P)
Governor of Hadhramout opens Alhamyat Hospital that will hold #COVID19 patients, plus a makeshift triage unit outside the hospital (photos)
https://twitter.com/samwrax/status/1249702474077876224
(A H P)
Important statement from Chairman of Corona Virus Control Committee in Aden the capital
said in a press statement on Wednesday, that all southern regions are free of the Corona virus.
My comment: This is wrong since Friday.
(A H)
Hadramout reveals results on two suspected coronavirus cases
Al-Jariri said that a special medical team have conducted three tests for the two persons who were in direct contact with the COVID-19 infected patient in al-Sheher city, confirming that the results were negative.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/19819
(A H P)
Film (Arabic): Criticism over Houthi claims that medical supplies dropped by coalition aircraft are contaminated
Director General of Disease Control and Epidemiological Surveillance at the Ministry of Public Health, Adham Awad, criticized the Houthis' statements that the medical supplies dropped by the Arab Coalition air force were contaminated with the coronavirus, adding that if their claim was true they were supposed to examine it in the laboratory to prove that it was contaminated, he also stressed that it is not in the interest of the coalition to send contaminated medical masks because it is authorized in accordance with the Resolution of the Security Council and cannot spread the epidemic in Yemen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-wHLVR5tQ4
(A H)
Film (Arabic): Fears at city of Ash-Shihr after first case of coronavirus was discovered
Citizens in the city of Ash-Shihr in the Hadhramaut governorate in southern Yemen expressed their fear after imposing a state of emergency in the city after the discovery of the first case of the emergence of the new Coronavirus, Friday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZwMlrr47B4&t=1s
(* B H)
Protecting vulnerable communities in Yemen from COVID-19
UN agencies have been helping national authorities scale up their response, providing medical supplies, medicines, equipment and training in support of preparedness and response to the disease. Prioritizing these measures will help to ensure that Yemen has the basic essentials to handle the load in the event the disease is confirmed.
The most important prevention and control measure in the fight against COVID-19 is raising community awareness and engagement.
Vulnerable communities are at greatest risk. For this reason, the UN Country Team in Yemen is using the opportunity to ensure that men, women and children are aware of the disease, how it is spread and how to protect themselves and their loved ones from it.
COVID-19 awareness sessions are being given at migrant and refugee camps in Yemen, as well as during scheduled assisted spontaneous return activities at the Aden Port that are helping Somali refugees return to their homes (photos)
and
(* B H)
WHO prepare 37 hospitals to cope with coronavirus in Yemen
The World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Yemen, Dr Altaf Musani said Saturday that the organization has been working to prepare 37 hospitals in Yemen to wrestle with the spread of coronavirus.
Musani’s announcement came one day after the country recorded its first case of the disease.
“Intensive care does not only mean the beds and ventilators but also the provision of treatment and upgrading the capacities of the health workers,” the WHO official said, pointing out that “the organization is also currently working to ensure the readiness of technical laboratories to examine any suspected cases of the virus.”
He added that the WHO has also provided an emergency stockpile of testing kits in the capital, Sanaa, as well as the cities of Aden (south) and Mukalla, the capital of Hadramout Governorate (east).
and
(B H)
IOM Yemen: IOM COVID-19 Preparedness and Response (April 2020)
https://www.iom.int/sitreps/yemen-situation-report-covid19-preparedness-april-2020 = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/iom-yemen-iom-covid-19-preparedness-and-response-april-2020
(* A H P)
Houthi gov't take precautionary measures to prevent Corona from reaching Yemen
The Houthi salvation government (Ansar Allah), is taking a precautionary measure to prevent the Coronavirus from reaching the group's controlled areas in northern Yemen, according to the Interior Ministry in Sana'a.
The Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV, quoted a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, Brigadier Abdulkhaleq Al-Ajri, as saying that the security forces "carried out a wide spread in all governorates to secure the crossings and prevent the smuggling of expatriates, and new security points were added and created in some governorates to prevent infiltrators from outside." .
He stressed that "the secretariat of the capital, Sanaa, and four other governorates have no way to smuggle expatriates."
"An extensive security campaign has been implemented to secure the transfer of arrivals from border crossings such as Raqo in the district of Munabbeh, Saada Governorate, to quarantine centers," Al-Ajri added, noting that "thousands of arrivals are quarantined.".
He stated that the border province of Saada with Saudi Arabia includes more than 28 quarantine centers, and the centers are still empty in nine districts of Saada.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-16405.html
(A H)
Erster Covid-19-Fall im Jemen: Behörden müssen dringend Personal und medizinisches Material ins Land lassen
Nach der Bestätigung des ersten Covid-19-Falls im Jemen fordert die Hilfsorganisation Ärzte ohne Grenzen die Behörden auf, medizinisches Material und humanitäre Helfer dringend ins Land zu lassen. Nach fünf Jahren Krieg ist das Gesundheitssystem zusammengebrochen. Auch wenn die Behörden erste Schritte unternommen haben, ist eine effiziente Reaktion auf die Pandemie mit den vorhandenen Ressourcen nahezu unmöglich.
„Es müssen dringend mehr Schutzkleidung und Covid-19-Tests in den Jemen importiert werden, sowohl für das Gesundheitssystem als auch für humanitäre Organisationen“, sagt Caroline Seguin, Leiterin von Projekten von Ärzte ohne Grenzen im Jemen. „Die verschiedenen jemenitischen Behörden müssen auch die Einreise von wichtigem medizinischem und nichtmedizinischem Personal internationaler Organisationen erlauben.“ Alle Länder müssten dazu beitragen, humanitären Helfern die Reise ins Land zu erleichtern.
https://www.aerzte-ohne-grenzen.de/jemen-erster-covid-19-fall
(A H P)
Yemen: Authorities must do all they can to facilitate COVID-19 response
After the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Yemen today, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) are calling for the authorities in Yemen to urgently allow the entrance of supplies and humanitarian staff to the country in order to facilitate a response to the disease.
While the different authorities in Yemen have taken some steps to plan for a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, five years of war mean that the health system has collapsed, making an effective response to the disease almost impossible with the existing resources in the country.
“More personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing capacity urgently needs to be imported into Yemen both for the national health system and for humanitarian organizations,” said Caroline Seguin, MSF operations manager for Yemen, “The different Yemeni authorities also need to allow the entry of key medical and support staff from foreign organizations.”
(B H P)
Jemen: Bischof Hinder äußert sich zum ersten Corona-Fall
Für den Apostolischen Vikar von Südarabien, den Schweizer Bischof Paul Hinder, könnte der Covid-19-Fall im Jemen einen paradoxen „positiven Effekt“ dabei haben, den Konflikt zu lösen.
(B H)
Lockdown diaries: Lessons from Yemen to Italy
A Yemeni shares his life experiences with Italians via his YouTube channel to help them get through the pandemic.
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/lockdown-diaries-lessons-yemen-italy-200408111810530.html
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle
(* B H K)
UNDP Support to Vital Hodeidah Ports Sets Pace for Sustainable Peace in Yemen
Three Red Sea ports in the Governorate of Hodeidah hold the key to sustainable peace in Yemen. The escalating conflict in the country has left physical infrastructure in shambles, leading to massive disruption in movement of humanitarian and essential supplies.
To support the implementation of the UN-mediated Hodeidah Peace Agreement, UNDP has launched the Peace Support Facility (PSF). As a first step, UNDP commissioned port assessment experts to evaluate the damage to the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa. With their extensive experience in port operations and assets management, their assessment lays the groundwork to restore the ports’ functionality as quickly as possible.
The ports are a source of food and oil derivative supplies for millions of Yemenis suffering under massive shortages. And now with a positive Coronavirus case in Yemen, the ports are more vital than ever.
The Ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa are in use but not as much as they should be or even could be. It is clear that long years of conflict and chronic lack of maintenance have taken a toll.
Getting the ports up and running is seen as critical to moving food, fuel, medicines and other vital commodities as quickly and smoothly as possible to the millions of people across the country who depend on external life-saving assistance. Functional ports could represent a gateway to progress and enhancing resilience of the Yemeni citizens to recurrent shocks of political instability.
At the conclusion of the mission, a comprehensive assessment of the ports was provided that included multiple recommendations for moving forward with the ports’ refurbishment.
Since then, UNDP had hired the services of a marine engineer, a civil engineer and a support staff for liaison with the port authorities, in addition to a procurement team to rapidly undertake the needed technical and complex procurement, rehabilitation and maintenance processes.
(A K pH)
Aggressionskräfte verletzen weiterhin den Waffenstillstand in Hodeidah
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3094138.htm
(A K pH)
Aggression forces commit 77 violations of Hodeidah agreement in last 24 hours
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3094164.htm
(A K pS)
[Hadi gov.] Hodeidah Police's director confirms Houthi coup militia's continued violation of truce and targeting residential areas
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2074812
(A K pS)
Film: Aerial photography documents the destruction of the Houthi gun moments after it fired shells in Al-Drahamy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9wP4UWg328
(A K pS)
Houthis continue to target people's houses in Hays
(A K pH)
77 Verstöße der Aggressionstruppen im Gouvernement Hodeidah
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3094126.htm
(A K pS)
Film: Houthi militias bomb the city of Al-Tahita and cause damage to citizens' homes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXYTowxW7KM
(A K pH)
US-Saudi Aggression’s Daily Update for Monday, April 13th, 2020
In Hodeidah, a child was injuredby artillery shelling of the forces of aggression when it targeted Al-Manjam village in Addurayhimi district. The aggression targeted […]
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=12322
66 Verstöße der Aggressionskräfte in Hodeidah
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3094035.htm
(A K pH)
Aggression coalition commits 66 violations in Hodeidah
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3093989.htm
(A K pH)
Aggressionskräfte setzen Verstöße in Hodeidah fort
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3093913.htm
(A K pH)
82 Verstöße der Aggressionskräfte in Hodeidah
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3093885.htm
(A K pH)
Aggression forces commit over 82 violations of ceasefire in Hodeidah during past hours
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3093896.htm
(A K pH)
US-Saudi Aggression Violates Cease-fire, Targeting Civilians in Hodeidah
The forces of the US-Saudi aggression continued their violations of the ceasefire in Hodeidah, and on Sunday evening, April 12th, they targeted a number of residential areas with various arms, and also developed combat fortifications.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=12304
cp1c Am wichtigsten: Waffenstillstand / Most important: Ceasefire
Siehe / Look at cp1, cp7
Verstöße / Violations: cp1b, cp16, cp17
(* B K P)
Can the Saudi Call for Ceasefire in Yemen Work?
The real hope for a genuine ceasefire in Yemen ironically may be the horrifying prospect of the deadly coronavirus appearing in a country devastated by war, cholera, food insecurity and attendant misery.
Until now, the Saudis have steadfastly rejected calls to end involvement in the war. So, why the ceasefire proposal now? It comes down to cost, the collapse of oil prices, Congress and the coronavirus pandemic. The confluence of continuing high costs of its involvement — variously estimated at $5 to $7 billion a month — and tanking oil prices mean the kingdom cannot sustain its war in Yemen and still meet its many domestic budget needs. Saudi Arabia’s declining foreign exchange reserves underscore the need for emergency first aid to stanch the kingdom’s financial hemorrhaging in Yemen.
Furthermore, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is badly in need of an image makeover in the US, most especially in Congress. The sooner he can extricate his nation from the ugly war to its south, the sooner he can begin his long trek back to respectability in the US and begin rebuilding bipartisan support again for the US-Saudi Arabia relationship. This will be especially important if his primary patron in Washington today, President Trump, fails in his reelection bid this coming November.
The real hope for a genuine ceasefire, however, may be the horrifying prospect of the deadly coronavirus appearing in Yemen.
Such an outbreak in Yemen would likely precipitate mass migration into Saudi Arabia, exacerbating its own coronavirus problem.
When a Pandemic May Not Be Enough
That Saudi Arabia may be more motivated than ever to bring a halt to the war is evident. However, is a ceasefire declaration sufficient?
Bringing this tragic conflict to an end will need the involvement and agreement of multiple parties and compromises from them not previously contemplated. The Houthi rebels may now believe they have their Saudi adversaries on their backfoot and may choose to press for concessions in the future governance of Yemen that the Saudis have hitherto rejected. T
Despite the Houthis’ hard-fought gains, the country’s majority Sunnis must also be appeased. Can they accept a major Houthi role in a new government? If not, could they continue their war against the Houthis without direct Saudi military support?
For Yemen’s Houthis and Sunnis, the cloud of the coronavirus hangs ominously over them both. Continuing to pursue a conflict amidst a pandemic rampaging through the civilian population and fighters alike is equally untenable. Regardless of how committed to their respective political causes, they cannot ignore a disease that recognizes no combatant, political agenda, party or interest.
If an initiative to halt the fighting and begin a genuine effort to resolve the disputes propelling it is to succeed, however, it will need major power momentum behind it. That is where the US could play a constructive role.
That is, America needs to flex its atrophied diplomatic muscles to conduct some tough diplomacy to help end a conflict that has yielded no winners, only millions of victims.
The coronavirus that haunts the planet today can ironically advance the hope for ending a horrifying conflict.
My comment: After what has happened in the last 5 or more years I cannot think of any positive role of the US in Yemen any more. They simply should stop supporting any of the warring parties, this is the best it still could do.
(* B K P)
Saudi truce initiative in Yemen
The initiative, which also opens a window for a return to the negotiating table, came with a large financial relief package, making Saudi Arabia the first donor nation to offer financial aid to the war-torn country at a time when donor agencies, including UN organisations and USAid, have cut back their assistance.
The Ansarullah (Houthi) Movement has not taken the Saudis up on the initiative, saying they seek, instead, a comprehensive agreement.
Since the coalition’s unilaterally declared truce went into effect, the two sides have been trading accusations of each violating it.
Given the current military situation, does the truce initiative stand a chance?
As realities of the five-year-old war have shown, neither side has the ability to attain a definitive military edge that will enable it to impose its options on the other, especially in view of the multifaceted complexities involved in this protracted conflict.
So, if such military realities have the final say, the current truce does not offer much hope.
On the other hand, the magnitude of the Yemeni crisis has acquired a dynamism of its own in its capacity as a “compound threat” to which have been added the valences of the war’s catastrophic humanitarian consequences, on top of which now comes the novel Covid-19 virus.
Even assuming both sides agreed to the truce, it is difficult to picture it holding. One impediment involves the “geopolitical dimension” of the Houthi project. The Houthis have been investing the bulk of their resources in a campaign to dominate the Marib-Jawf front.
Another major impediment to the truce is that there is no mechanism to monitor the ceasefire in Hodeida.
In view of past experiences and the current escalatory trajectory on the ground, it appears Covid-19 will not mark a turning point in the warring parties’ positions.
My comment: With too much of anti-Houthi bias, which I did not quote here.
(A K P)
Abdulsalam: US-Saudi Aggression Accusations Ridiculous
The head of the [Sanaa gov.] National Delegation, Mohammad Abdusalam, mocked the US-Saudi aggression's on its ridiculous accusations in which the Aggression complained of the Yemeni Army and the Popular Committees committing violations.
Abdusalam explained that the aggression and the siege against the Yemeni people are still in place and the people have the right to confront the Aggression with all possible means.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=12321
(A P)
Arab League Chief Urges Seizing Yemen Ceasefire to Achieve Peace
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit called for seizing the opportunity presented by the ceasefire, declared by the Saudi-led Arab coalition, to find a solution to the conflict in Yemen.
He renewed his call on the Iran-backed Houthi militias to respond and commit to the initiative, which is an opportunity to end the bloodshed in Yemen.
(* A K P)
Saudi ceasefire initiative in range of Houthi accusations .. No peace looms on horizon
Ansar Allah group (Houthis) is intensifying the publication of news that it addresses the infiltrations and assaults carried out by what it calls the forces of aggression, and describes what is happening with violations that confirm that the Saudi-led Arab coalition lwas not serious in its initiative regarding the cease-fire that was announced last Wednesday evening.
It is remarkable during the past three days, the intensity of the statements published by the Houthi military spokesman on Twitter. All of them talk about ground and air attacks by coalition forces without stopping.
Although the Houthis had presented a peace initiative to Saudi Arabia last September, they did not seize the recent Saudi initiative according to what was expected and expected, especially as Yemen may enter a direct and catastrophic consequences with the epidemic of the Coronavirus, which the great powers could not withstand the terrifying spread of .
According to political experts, it seems that the group that has controlled the Yemeni capital since the end of 2014 does not accept any peace initiatives, regardless of their source, other than the ones that launch them and want to achieve full gains.
Returning to the military issue, the Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Saree, announced on Sunday and in several tweets that his group's fighters thwarted large-scale infiltrations of government forces on the frontlines as Najran and in the governorates of Al-Jawf, Marib and Al-Bayda.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-16434.html
(A K pS)
Arab Coalition in Yemen says Houthis committed 241 ceasefire violations in 48 hours
The Arab Coalition supporting the legitimate government in Yemen said on Sunday that the Houthi militias committed in 48 hours 241 violations of the ceasefire agreement which came into effect on April 9.
The Coalition said the violations included aggressive military action using all kinds of light and heavy weaponry and ballistic missiles.
Meanwhile, it stressed that the Coalition forces and the national Yemeni army was adhering to the ceasefire and said: “We apply the utmost self-restraint when it comes to the rules of engagement, reserving the legitimate right to respond in self-defense cases on the frontlines.”
My comment: This is no ceasefire “agreement”, as ceasefire had been solely claimed by the Saudi coalition without any agreement with the Houthis. The Saudi coalition it self had broken the ceasefire on many occasions.
(* A K P)
Jemens Ansarullah: Saudisch geführte Kriegskoalition will die Welt durch Ankündigung eines Waffenstillstands täuschen
Ein hochrangiger Vertreter der jemenitischen Ansarullah-Bewegung hat eine zweiwöchige Waffenruhe, die von der vom saudischen Regime angeführten Koalition angekündigt wurde, als irreführend abgelehnt.
Der Ansarullah-Sprecher Mohammed Abdul-Salam schrieb am Sonntag auf Twitter, dass der Jemen eine Eskalation der Kämpfe und Luftangriffe der Koalition und gleichzeitig die Fortsetzung der Belagerung erlebe.
Er fügte hinzu: "Der erklärte Waffenstillstand ist betrügerisch und soll die Welt irreführen. Wenn es einen echten Willen zum Frieden gegeben hätte, müsste der UN-Sicherheitsrat eine formelle Resolution herausgeben, um diesen vergeblichen Krieg gegen den Jemen zu beenden und die ungerechte Belagerung aufzuheben. Vielmehr stimmte er der wertlosen Erklärung der Länder der Aggressionskoalition zu."
Am 9. April bekräftigte der hochrangige Ansarullah-Vertreter in einem Exklusivinterview mit dem in Katar ansässigen Nachrichtensender al-Jazeera, dass der angekündigte Waffenstillstand ein Propagandatrick sei.
"Die Ankündigung des Waffenstillstands durch Saudi-Arabien ist in der Tat ein Trick, da die Angriffe auf den Jemen fortgesetzt und Operationen an verschiedenen Fronten durchgeführt werden, einschließlich in Gebieten, in denen es überhaupt keine Zusammenstöße gab."
Er fügte hinzu: „Wir halten die von Saudi-Arabien angekündigte Waffenruhe für ein politisches und mediales Manöver. Sie verfolgt mehr als ein Ziel. Sie versucht, die laufenden ernsthaften Verhandlungen mit den Vereinten Nationen zu unterbinden und das Image der Koalition in diesem kritischen Moment, in dem die Welt der Corona-Pandemie gegenübersteht, zu stärken."
(* A K P)
Houthis dub UN Security Council statement as weak
The Houthi group on Sunday deplored the UN Security Council's statement welcoming the Arab coalition announcement of ceasefire in Yemen.
"Air and land escalation by the aggression coalition, amid persistent siege" makes "the ceasefire it announced no more than misleading of the public opinion," Houthi spokesman tweeted.
"If it had serious orientation and real will towards peace, the UNSC would have issued a clear resolution to stop the useless war and lift the unfair siege, instead of the weak statement," Mohamed Abdul Salam added.
For another Houthi official, without calling for Yemen's blockade be lifted in any ceasefire initiative, the siege will be legitimate.
"The blockade inflicts Yemen more damages than military operations," Mohamed al-Bokhaiti added.
"The Saudi announcement is a tactical step to mislead the public."
https://debriefer.net/en/news-16423.html
(A K P)
[Hadi] Gov’t welcomes UNSC statement on ceasefire
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-39071
(* A K P)
Yemen’s Ansarullah Vows Response to Saudi Breach of Ceasefire
A Houthi Ansarullah movement official lashed out at Saudi Arabia for violating a ceasefire and continuing with military aggression against Yemen, warning the invaders to brace themselves for a response in the coming days.
In an interview with Al Mayadden, Mohamed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the political bureau of Ansarullah, threatened that the Yemeni forces would respond to the unrelenting Saudi-led military attacks and the kingdom’s violation of a ceasefire within the next few days.
He warned that an attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities would be a justifiable response to the Saudi acts of aggression against Yemenis.
Denouncing the continued attacks from the Saudi-led military coalition on Hudaydah, Bukhaiti said the aggressors will be the biggest loser if they continue to aggravate the tensions and clashes in the Yemeni port city.
He further stressed that any initiative that fails to result in a complete end to the war against Yemen would be a deficient plan.
and also https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=12311
(* B K P)
Will Saudi Arabia Seize Golden Chance For Yemen Exit?
Although the announcement was, as many analysts agree and Ansarullah resistant movement showed in its doubtful reaction, meant to digress the international attention from the Saudi war, bloodshed, and all-out blockade amid reports that coronavirus was spreading in the war-weary country, it is of significance from Several aspects.
Disrupting Ansarullah advances and victories and halting attacks on Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia and its war allies especially the UAE since the beginning of the war in 2015 always evaded the international demands for ending the heavy bombardment in Yemen that largely destroyed the country’s infrastructure and killed many innocent people. They even did not adhere to a couple of UN-brokered agreements in practice and pushed for their stated aim of seizing the capital Sana’a from the revolutionaries to restore the fugitive president Mansour Hadi. Actually, during the five years of war, the two countries put military victory over Sana’a over a political solution that could save many lives and also Yemen’s weary infrastructure.
The failure to keep commitment to the Stockholm peace deal, signed between Sana’a and the fugitive government in December 2018, is just one example of the Saudi disrespect to the internationally-brokered deals.
With this in mind, the Saudi show of openness to a ceasefire does not stem from a position of power. Rather, they do so because of their weakness to check Ansarullah’s military advancements, buy breathing room for their mercenaries whose morale is really low as a result of the recent weeks’ heavy defeats on more than one front in Al-Jawf and Ma'rib provinces. Also, Riyadh wants to stop the Ansarullah’s missile and drone attacks on the economically militarily, and even politically strategic targets as so far the Yemen attacks showed great effectiveness with deterring the Arab coalition.
Coronavirus crisis and golden chance for face-saving exit from Yemen
Now it can be strongly claimed that Ansarullah is a determining factor and has the upper hand on the ground. This reality can be understood from the conditions the movement has recently announced to the UN as the frames of a political solution to the crisis.
Certainly, Saudi Arabia, which due to the military defeats in Yemen and losing its main ally the UAE develops plans to split Yemen and make minimum achievements, will not support conditions of Sana’a. Still, it should be taken into account that the pandemic outbreak provides the golden opportunity for Saudi regime to exit from the crises under the name of good-faith action to prevent fatalities among its forces, before being forced to pull out under the international pressures and the heavy attacks of the Yemeni forces. Announcing the two-week ceasefire might indicate that Riyadh very well appreciate this golden opportunity.
https://shiitenews.org/shiitenews/articles/item/112406-will-saudi-arabia-seize-golden-chance-for-yemen-exit/ 0 https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=12313
My remark: A pro-Houthi view.
(A H)
Hilfsorganisation Care begrüßt Waffenruhe im Jemen
„Dies ist ein erster Schritt in die richtige Richtung“, erklärte der Generalsekretär von Care Deutschland, Karl-Otto Zentel, am 8. April in Bonn. Die Hilfsorganisation forderte die Konfliktparteien auf, die Waffenruhe als Gelegenheit zu nutzen, um eine dauerhafte Beilegung des Konflikts zu erreichen.
https://www.islamische-zeitung.de/hilfsorganisation-care-begruesst-waffenruhe-im-jemen/
(A H P)
Ärzte ohne Grenzen fordert vom Jemen, medizinische Hilfe ins Land zu lassen
cp2 Allgemein / General
(* A K P)
Interactive Map of Yemen War
(* A K)
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON APRIL 14, 2020 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-april-14-2020-map-update/
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON APRIL 13, 2020 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-april-13-2020-map-update/
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON APRIL 12, 2020 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-april-12-2020-map-update/
(* B P)
Krieg der Worte
Die Komplizenschaft des Westens im Jemen stützt sich auf saudische Kriegspropaganda
Als in der arabischen Welt ab 2011 korrupte Despoten fielen, machte sich der Geist des sogenannten Arabischen Frühlings auch rasch im Jemen breit. Die »Huthis« genannten Ansarollah setzten sich an die Spitze der gesellschaftlich breit aufgestellten Proteste: Nach 33 Jahren an der Macht wurde 2011 Präsident Ali Abdullah Saleh gestürzt, die Ansarollah eroberten weite Teile des Landes und stellen seit 2014 de facto Jemens Regierung.
Salehs Nachfolger Abed Rabbo Mansur Hadi hingegen gilt als saudische Marionette und wurde über Aden aus dem Land gejagt. Seit 2015 sitzt er ohne jeden Einfluss auf die Geschicke im Jemen im Exil in Riad fest und verkörpert bereitwillig das Alibi der Saudis – den Vorwand, den das Königshaus brauchte, um im März 2015 den Irrsinn zu beginnen, mittels eines Bombenteppichs auf von den Ansarollah kontrolliert – von Jakob Reimann (nur im Abo)
https://www.jungewelt.de/artikel/376448.jemen-krieg-der-worte.html
(* A H P)
UNICEF calls for releasing children detained in Yemen
In fear of coronavirus outbreak, the UNICEF on Monday called for releasing the children detained in Yemen.
"I call for immediate release of children in detention centers in Yemen," the UNICEF Yemen Representative tweeted.
"I add my voice to the UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore," Sara Nyanti added.
In a Monday statement, Fore said "the rights of children to protection, safety and wellbeing must be upheld at all times, even and especially during crises like the one the world faces today."
"We call on governments and other detaining authorities to urgently release all children who can safely return to their families or an appropriate alternative," the UNICEF chief urged in the statement.
"UNICEF also calls for an immediate moratorium on new admissions of children to detention facilities," the statement read.
Many children "are being held in confined and overcrowded spaces with inadequate access to nutrition, healthcare and hygiene services – conditions that are highly conductive to the spread of diseases like COVID-19.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-16472.html
(* B H)
Together against Coronavirus, together against Yemen war
Humanity is fighting more than one merciless killer!
Coronavirus has done all this and more in different nations of the world. It is splendid that the spirit of solidarity and togetherness, which different nations in languages, believes, and geographic locations have demonstrated to combat this lethal being, is taking the lead more than ever. There has been an increase in calls for governments to reconsider their policies and change their priorities. We, in Yemen, share your feelings, solidarity, demands and aspirations for a better human life.
With our full solidarity and prayers for humanity, we remind you that the war in Yemen has caused as many tragedies to the Yemeni people as this virus did to the world.
We value any solidarity against the war in Yemen and all other wars, and consider it an occasion to redouble efforts and raise awareness against whatsoever kills the human being and lurks on their live, safety, and security, whether it is a virus or old or modern weapons, protected by a package of wrong interests and policies!
https://mwatana.org/en/together-against-corona/
cp2a Saudische Blockade / Saudi blockade
(* A K P)
US accused of holding the people of Yemen under siege in latest act of piracy.
WASHINGTON has again been accused of piracy after its navy helped prevent 17 ships carrying much-needed food and aid from reaching war-stricken Yemen, which recorded its first case of coronavirus on Friday.
The US and its Saudi Arabian allies stopped 14 oil tankers and three vessels loaded with other fuel, despite them having the required permits to enter Yemen.
Marine forces prevented the ships from reaching their destination and the Yemeni Oil Company confirmed on Sunday that 12 of the oil tankers were being held in the port of Hudeyda.
“We are facing a new case of piracy by Saudi Arabia and its allies,” Yemeni TV station Al-Masirah reported.
He accused the Washington of “partnering” with the belligerents in the continued aggression and the denial of much-needed aid.
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
Siehe / Look at cp1
(B H)
Film (Arabic): See what's behind the doors of the Cancer Center in Hodeidah 13-04-2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUMidOko99w
(B H)
Bachir Al Mohallal, ein schlagendes Herz für den Jemen
Seine NGO ist genau so alt wie der Bürgerkrieg im Jemen. Sechs Jahre. Sein Name, Pulse for Social Justice, fasst sein Projekt für sich zusammen: „Das Wort‚ Puls ‘erinnert uns an das Blut, das in unseren Adern schlägt, erklärt Bachir Al Mohallal. Ich möchte die Gesellschaft zum Schwingen bringen, Veränderungen vorantreiben. “”
2011 hatte er an der Revolution teilgenommen, die den Jemen in der Welle des “arabischen Frühlings” aufrüttelte. Träume von einem “Friedliche Veränderung”Er arbeitete mit Tawakkul Karman zusammen, einer Persönlichkeit der Frauenmobilisierung in seinem Land, Mitgewinnerin des Friedensnobelpreises 2011. 2014 wurde er zum Stabschef des Medienberaters von Präsident Hadi ernannt, aber als er er floh im folgenden Jahr nach Saudi-Arabien, er weigerte sich, ihm zu folgen.
Durch Mundpropaganda verbreiten sich die Nachrichten von Dorf zu Dorf und führen ihn dazu, eine Methode zu entwickeln: Die Dorfbewohner müssen sich im Ausschuss zusammensetzen, eine Gruppe auf Facebook oder WhatsApp bilden, um die Bedürfnisse aufzulisten und selbst über Projekte zu entscheiden zu tun: Wasser bringen, Straßen beleuchten, die Schule mit Tischen und Stühlen ausstatten…
Seitdem hat die kleine NGO an Stärke gewonnen und ihr Gründungspräsident ist professionell geworden. Nachdem er herausgefunden hatte, dass seine Methode Teil des Bottom-up-Ansatzes in der Entwicklung war, folgte er einem Master 2 an der Universität von Lille und begann sogar eine Diplomarbeit in Touren.
https://www.nach-welt.com/bachir-al-mohallal-ein-schlagendes-herz-fur-den-jemen/
(B H)
Bachir Al Mohallal, un cœur qui bat pour le Yémen
Malgré la guerre qui ravage son pays depuis cinq ans, cet ancien conseiller de la présidence yéménite, Directeur de Pulse for Social Justice, a fondé une ONG pour aider les communautés villageoises à monter leurs propres projets.
Son ONG a exactement le même âge que la guerre civile au Yémen. Six ans. Son nom, Pulse for Social Justice, résume à lui seul son projet : « Le mot ”pulse” fait penser à ce sang qui bat dans nos veines, explique Bachir Al Mohallal. Je veux faire vibrer la société, impulser le changement. »
Il reçoit aussi en plein cœur l’interrogation des villageois : « Maintenant que ton père n’est plus là, qui va s’occuper de nous ? »
Après l’épisode du cimetière, conscient que « rien ne viendra d’en haut », l’héritier retrousse ses manches et, après avoir acheté des outils, revient le lendemain pour dépierrer la mauvaise piste qui mène au village. Il est rejoint par « 5 ou 10 personnes le premier jour, et encore beaucoup plus le suivant ». « Les habitants étaient encore plus motivés que moi : en deux mois, ils ont même pavé la route », raconte-t-il.
Grâce au bouche-à-oreille, la nouvelle se répand de village en village et le conduit à bâtir une méthode : les villageois doivent se constituer en comité, créer un groupe sur Facebook ou WhatsApp pour répertorier les besoins et décider eux-mêmes des projets à réaliser : amener l’eau, éclairer les rues, équiper l’école de tables et de chaises…
Depuis, la petite ONG est montée en puissance et son président fondateur s’est professionnalisé. Après avoir découvert que sa méthode relevait de l’approche « bottom-up » (du bas vers le haut) utilisée dans le développement, il est venu suivre un master 2 à l’université de Lille et s’est même lancé dans une thèse à Tours.
https://www.la-croix.com/Monde/Moyen-Orient/Bachir-Al-Mohallal-coeur-bat-Yemen-2020-04-13-1201089146
(* B H)
IOM Yemen: Situation Report February 2020
SITUATION OVERVIEW
By the end of the month, 15,274 people had relocated to Marib city – many of them previously displaced, moving to locations with fewer services. IOM, as the lead of the CCCM and S-NFI sub-national clusters, and co-lead of the WASH Sub-national Cluster, scaled up humanitarian assistance in Marib. Close to 3,000 households received support this month, with aid operations ongoing to fill all response gaps.
Humanitarian partners continued to face unprecedented humanitarian access issues and blockages to reaching people in need. The most significant obstacles to humanitarian access in Yemen remain bureaucratic impediments and interference to humanitarian operations, mainly in areas controlled by de-facto authorities [odd UN wording for the Sanaa government]. Persistent delays and denials of permits by authorities continued to block a timely and effective response. The restrictive environment shows no improvement, and in February IOM experienced an increase in restrictions with 96 per cent of all its permit submissions to move staff and humanitarian supplies denied. The shrinking humanitarian space in northern Yemen has had significant impacts on IOM’s needs assessments, monitoring and aid delivery activities. In fact, needs assessments for 2020 have not been able to move forward, further delaying the preparation of Yemen’s 2020 Humanitarian Needs Overview and Humanitarian Response Plan. IOM was not able to deliver S-NFI supplies this month, preventing assistance from reaching 25,550 people in Al Hudaydah and Hajjah governorates.
https://www.iom.int/sitreps/yemen-situation-report-february-2020 = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/iom-yemen-situation-report-february-2020-enar
(* B H)
UNDP Yemen 2019 Fast Facts
UNDP assists vulnerable Yemenis to meet their most urgent needs, while also helping to restore livelihoods, strengthen resilience to future challenges, and prepare for long-term development. Engaging local capacities, systems and institutions, UNDP is assisting Yemen in building back better.
2019 Results:
Over 1.5 million employment workdays created for crisis-affected people Nearly 74,600 people from vulnerable households employed in cash-for-work programmes (indirectly benefiting over half million) Over 1.3 million people received water, education and improved roads Nearly 811 classrooms refurbished 129 kilometres (approximately 230 miles) of roads improved Over 13,300 hectares (approximately 10 acres) of farmland built or improved Over 342,900 people now have access to solar power (including 35 schools and 101 health facilities) Cleared 1.85 million square meters of land and over 46,000 explosive remnants of war were cleared
https://www.ye.undp.org/content/yemen/en/home/presscenter/statements/2020/undp-yemen-2019-fast-facts.html 0 https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/undp-yemen-2019-fast-facts
(A H)
Hadramout receives 6 Ambulances, medical equipment
http://en.adenpress.news/news/19818
(* B H)
WFP muss Hilfsgelder für Jemen halbieren
Krieg im Jemen: Die Vereinten Nationen sprechen von der größten humanitären Krise der Neuzeit. Nun müssen zusätzlich noch Hilfsgelder halbiert werden.
Trotz der dramatischen humanitären Lage im Jemen muss das Welternährungsprogramm WFP seine Hilfe für das Bürgerkriegsland aus Geldmangel drastisch kürzen.
Der Einsatz im Jemen leide unter einer kritischen Finanzierungslücke, man habe keine andere Wahl, als die Hilfe um die Hälfte zu reduzieren, teilte eine WFP-Sprecherin am Sonntag mit.
Notleidende Familien erhielten von Mitte April an statt monatlich nur noch alle zwei Monate Unterstützung.
https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/jemen-wfp-hilfsgelder-corona-100.html = https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/welternaehrungsprogamm-jemen-101.html
(B H)
UNDP Yemen supports sustained water and sanitation in Aden and Mukalla
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Yemen and our partner, the Public Works Project (PWP), have rehabilitated and maintained 12 public latrine buildings in the city of Al-Mukalla. The efforts, in response to Yemen’s Coronavirus-19 crisis interventions, were completed in cooperation with local authorities, and area a part of our Water, Sanitation and Health (WASH) and the Solid Waste projects.
(* B H K)
[Sanaa gov.] Ministry of Education: Education Losses due to Aggression, Siege Amounted to 3 Trillion Riyals
Yemeni Ministry of Education announced, Sunday,its annual report on the losses of the education sector in Yemen during five years of the US-Saudi aggression and siege imposed on Yemen.
The ministry affirmed during a press conference held in the capital, Sana’a, that the total cost of direct losses to the education sector during 5 years of aggression and siege was approximately 3 trillion riyals.
It explained that the coalition of aggression destroyed 412 educational facilities completely, including 110 facilities in Hajjah governorate and 106 schools in Sa’adah governorate.
The Ministry indicated that the aggression partially destroyed 1491 schools, while it caused the closure of 756 schools, including 179 in Sa’adah governorate.
It stressed that the aggression and the siege caused 3652 educational facilities damaged, directly and indirectly, and affected nearly two million students throughout the Republic.
The Ministry of Education indicated that the aggression and the blockade have cut the salaries of more than 196,000 manpower in the field of education
The Ministry pointed out that the average annual deficit in printing textbooks reached 84%, equivalent to one copy of the curriculum for 7 students.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=12297
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
(A H P)
Saudi official criticizes UN, warns against Yemen-originated conspiracy
The Kingdom is before a conspiracy coming from Yemen, Saudi former Shura councilor, Mohamed Abdullah Al Zolfah, said Tuesday.
On Monday, the UN said Saudi deportation of illegal migrant workers to Ethiopia risks coronavirus spread, urging Riyadh to stop the move currently.
"Parties in Yemen push Ethiopians to Saudi southern borders to create health, economic and social problems," Al Zolfah told Sputnik radio. This made "Saudi Arabia to deport them to guard its security and borders and to maintain its stability, particularly with the matter governed by human smugglers and traders."
https://debriefer.net/en/news-16475.html
My remark: As claimed by the Saudis, blaming the Houthis. Both sides blame each other of this.
(* B H)
IOM Yemen | Displacement in Marib | 08 April 2020
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that close to 9,000 households (HHs) have fled conflict affected areas in the Marib and Al Jawf governorates since late January. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) have mainly moved into Marib city, Marib Al Wadi, Medghal and Sirwah districts in Marib governorate. IOM and partners are providing safe shelters, essential aid items, emergency health care, clean water and safe sanitation and food to the new arrivals. Since 21 January, 39,543 IDPs affected by the crisis have received critical assistance.
https://www.iom.int/sitreps/yemen-displacement-marib-08-april-2020 = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/iom-yemen-displacement-marib-08-april-2020
(* B H)
IOM Yemen | Rapid Displacement Tracking (RDT) - Reporting Period: 5 - 11 April 2020
In the first nine months of 2019, conflict has resulted in new patterns of displacement, particularly in within Hajjah, Al Hudaydah, Al Dhale'e, Taizz governorates.
Between 05 and 11 April, newly displaced households were recorded in Marib (513 HH), Taiz (84 HH), and Al Hudaydah (74 HH). Most of these displacements were the result of increased fighting in Al Jawf (447 HH), Al Hudaydah (91 HH), and Marib (81 HH).
https://dtm.iom.int/reports/yemen-rapid-displacement-tracking-update-5-11-april-2020 = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/iom-yemen-rapid-displacement-tracking-rdt-reporting-period-5-11-april-2020
(B H)
Shelter NFI Winterization Activities (December 2019-February 2020)
According to the Shelter-NFI Cluster winterization strategy, 352,514 vulnerable families across Yemen were in need of winterization assistance with 52,063 families considered as a first priority. The majority of these families are living in informal internally displaced persons (IDPs) hosting sites where the situation is evidenced to be dire as a result of harsh winter conditions, flash floods and escalating violence. These factors are further exacerbated by insufficient household income, decreased purchasing power, and limited employment opportunities.
IOM Yemen has scaled up its S-NFI operations, together with IOM Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) teams, in order to rapidly respond to the urgent needs of IDPs
https://www.iom.int/sitreps/yemen-shelter-nfi-winterization-activities-december-2019-february-2020 = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/shelter-nfi-winterization-activities-december-2019-february-2020-enar
Fortsetzung / Sequel: cp5 – cp18
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-642b-yemen-war-mosaic-642b
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-641-yemen-war-mosaic-641
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-641 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-641:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
Der saudische Luftkrieg im Bild / Saudi aerial war images:
(18 +, Nichts für Sensible!) / (18 +; Graphic!)
http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
http://yemenwarcrimes.blogspot.de/
Liste aller Luftangriffe / and list of all air raids:
http://yemendataproject.org/data/
Untersuchung ausgewählter Luftangriffe durch Bellingcat / Bellingcat investigations of selected air raids:
Untersuchungen von Angriffen, hunderte von Filmen / Investigations of attacks, hundreds of films:
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