The Yemeni Government is heading towards its goal to re-capture Hodeida Governorate and this is being seen as a positive step towards achieving peace and stability in Yemen. Without any doubt this step by the government of Yemen comes under the legal rules as it comes under its sovereign jurisdiction to protect its citizens, put a full stop to the smuggling of Iranian weapons and missiles to the Houthi rebels through the port of Hodeida and also to put an end to the threat posed by the militia to international navigation in the Red Sea. Thus, the liberation attempt of Hodeida Governorate is an important step towards ending the national civil war. This includes to curb efforts against the coup and to restore the security and stability in all of the Yemeni Governorates.

Ever since the Military attempted a coup against the Government of Yemen, the Houthis have been using Yemeni ports near the Red Sea (Specially Hodeida – Al Salif – Midi) to receive weapons from Iran. This smuggling of weapons is a clear violation against Security Council resolutions related to the Yemeni conflict. The paragraph 14 of resolution 2216 (2015) relating to prohibition of weapons, planting of random internationally-prohibited mines near Bab Al Mandeb strait and targeting cargo ships crossing the strait and looting humanitarian aids are all described clearly in those resolutions which are now being violated.

The Panel of Experts on Yemen to the Sanctions Committee in a report issued in 2017 stated that Iran was directly involved in smuggling weapons to the Houthis. In this regard, the Yemeni government clearly said that the safety of ships and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea area and Bab Al Mandeb strait can never be achieved without gaining full control of the western coast and all nearby districts and ports along the Red Sea and also restoring the authority of the State.

The fresh developments in Hodeida are coming to the fore after the government of Yemen tried all peaceful and political means possible to remove the Houthi militia from the port of Hodeidah. The Yemeni government has called upon the whole international community to extend all type of help during this humanitarian catastrophe that is being endured by the Yemeni people, particularly people of living in Hodeida are suffering under the ill-practices of Houthis that transformed the port doing its daily business into a military base to destabilize the national security and also to threaten the neighboring region and international navigation.

The government of Yemen and the coalition have given assurance that the military operation will never effect the civilians and all their properties and also to secure the timely delivery of the humanitarian aid through Al Hodeida port.

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