UN Humanitarian Coordinator colludes with Houthis, Yemeni govt. says
The legitimate government in Yemen accused on Wednesday the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator to Yemen Lise Grande of colluding with the Iran-backed Houthi militias after an agreement was reached to open an air corridor in the capital Sanaa.
According to Asharq Al-Awsat, the government said that Grande colluded with the militias through signing the deal under the pretext of providing medical and humanitarian assistance to the needy at a facility used by the militias to smuggle weapons and further aggravate the situation in the country.
The deal was signed between Grande and so-called Houthi Foreign Hisham Sharaf on September 15.
The legitimate government expressed its condemnation through a letter delivered by its Permanent Representative to the UN, Dr. Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, to the Secretary-General of the World Health Organization (WHO).
“The Government of the Republic of Yemen expresses its deep concern and condemnation of this behavior conducted by the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator, categorically rejects this measure and considers this MOU as null and void,” said the letter.
“The signing of this MoU, a ceremony joyfully celebrated by the militias, is tantamount to an official recognition by the United Nations and considered a flagrant contradiction with the UN position, and the UN Security Council resolutions on Yemen, particularly 2216 in 2015 as such a measure would negatively affect the excellent relations binding the Yemeni Government and the United Nations.”
“Despite our insistence during all repeated meetings with UN personnel in Yemen on the importance of not giving the militias a chance to exploit the need to coordinate with them as a pretext to endorse legitimacy to their coup, such mistakes are still taking place, last of which was mentioned in a July report of the United Nations Population Fund for Arab Countries on which the UN agency has sent an apology on 15 August 2018.”
“The Yemeni government spares no effort to mitigate the suffering of the Yemeni people, including facilitating the procedures for the medical bridge emanating from its national obligations and duties to provide the necessary care for patients and medical care seekers. In this regard, we discussed all details of the agreement with the resident coordinator who met with the former permanent representative of Yemen to the UN on 25 April 2018 whereas we expressed our readiness to do whatever to alleviate the suffering and pains sustained from the militia behaviors.”
“The Yemeni government demands that you advise the resident coordinator of the UN and all UN agencies operating in Yemen not to sign any agreements or MoUs except with the legitimate internationally-recognized government of Yemen."