September Net

The Yemeni Government said it was committed to facilitate the import of oil products through the Houthi rebels-controlled Seaport of Hodeidah despite the rebel militia’s violations of an import mechanism previously agreed upon with the office of the UN Special Envoy to Yemen.

The Houthi militia had confiscated oil revenues worth YR 40 billion from a Hodeidah Central Bank account meant to pay the salaries of civil servicemen all over Yemen.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said today that “Although the Houthis still control the bank account, the Government is working to admit new oil shipments to Hodeidah Seaport to prevent an oil crisis that may complicate the suffering of the Yemenis especially in these delicate circumstances.”

The ministry said the government offered an initiative on August 26 to resume allowing oil shipments in via the seaport provided that the revenues are deposited in a new independent account away from the control of the militia such that the funds are only spent after an agreement on how to spend the funds is reached.