إضغط هنا لقراءة الخبر بالعربية
The Saudi-led coalition backing legitimacy in Yemen has asked the United Nations for explanations on providing the Houthis with 4W vehicles for demining mission, and describing the group as partners.
On the vehicles delivery, "we find no explanation on this stance," said coalition spokesman on Tuesday.
According to the Saudi Asharq Al-Awsat, Colonel Turki al-Maliki wondered "how could coup militias become a partner to the UN, which is considered an umbrella for the international stability and security?
"Houthi militiamen were not received at the UN building in Geneva, because they are illegal, coup militias. We need UN justification in this regard. The UN provides vehicles, and the Iranian regime will arm these cars. The loser in this equation is the Yemeni people."
The UN "had to decide the legal responsibility – that Houthi militias are who plant mines – and to stop them. This is the easiest way," Maliki said.
On 28 May, the UNDP tweeted that it provided 20 vehicles for the demining "partner" in support of constant efforts in Hodeida.
This is the first stage of demining efforts in north and south that would help ensure demining teams better equipped to work in hard environment, said the Program.
But the information minister at the Yemeni internationally-recognized government dismissed the UN provision of vehicles for the Houthi-run national demining center in Sana'a as "UN scandal and seriously disdaining of Yemenis' lives."
Houthi "militias will divert such support to their combating operations in Dhalea and Hodeida."
The support provided by sister and friend countries to relief programs will unfortunately be channeled to Houthi mines manufactory, while millions of hungry IDPs sieged and prevented food supplies by the group, Moammar al-Eryaniadded.
Yemen has been racked by a 4-year bloody conflict between the internationally-recognized Yemeni government's forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who ousted the government in 2014.
Yemeni areas, flashpoints in particular, have seen thousands of mines planted by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels since the war outbreak in 2015.
According to official government HR ministry, Houthis have planted more than one million mines throughout the four years of fighting, the highest rate since the WWII.
On the 25th of last June, the Saudi KSRelief launched a US$40-million demining initiative in Yemen for 5 years.
