Yemeni government asks the United Nations to monitor port of Hodeidah
The Yemeni government has proposed to the United Nations that it monitors the rebel-held port of Hodeidah to ensure that no arms are smuggled through it, the prime minister said on Wednesday.
A Saudi-led military coalition backing the internationally-recognized government in its war against the Houthi rebels has been preparing an assault on Hodeidah.
Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr repeated that the Iran-aligned Houthis are smuggling weapons into Yemen through Hodeidah and said his government has proposed that the United Nations supervise the port to head off a possible attack.
He told Reuters in Geneva: "This port has been developed for receiving weapons for the militias. We are taking decisions to finalize what is going on. We don't prefer using force there.
"So it's us who proposed to the United Nations to operate the port and to impose monitoring on the port."
The government had discussed this with U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres at a conference of aid donors held to address the humanitarian crisis brought on by the war.
"But we didn't receive a clear answer on this matter," he said.
A U.N. spokeswoman in Geneva had no immediate information.
The United Nations says two-thirds of Yemen's 26 million people need assistance to avert famine.
The world body announced pledges of $1.1 billion towards its $2.1 billion humanitarian appeal for Yemen this year after the conference held on Tuesday.