Sanaa, Saudi-appointed Yemeni body agree to de-escalate tensions: UN
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Sanaa's Minister of Transport tells Al Mayadeen that, despite the aggression and bombardments, operations at the Hodeidah port were restored within 48 hours.
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Hans Grundberg, the UN special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview for The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
An agreement has been reached between the Sanaa government and the Saudi-appointed Yemeni Presidential Council to de-escalate tensions related to the banking sector and Yemenia Airways, the UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, announced on Tuesday.
Grundberg confirmed that the two sides informed him "that they agreed on several measures to de-escalate."
According to the UN envoy's office, the latest written agreement includes "canceling all the recent decisions and procedures against banks by both sides and refraining in the future from any similar decisions or procedures."
Last night, the Government of Yemen and Ansar Allah informed the UN Special Envoy that they agreed on several measures in accordance with a written text received by the Special Envoy form the parties. Read in full :https://t.co/F2bcbMh2Ow
— @OSE_Yemen (@OSE_Yemen) July 23, 2024
In May, the Central Bank in Aden, controlled by the Saudi-appointed Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, issued a directive to halt dealings with six commercial banks based in Sanaa for failing to abide by an order to relocate to Aden.
In response, the Central Bank of Yemen in the capital, Sanaa, issued a decision prohibiting dealings with 13 banks and entities, most of which are headquartered in Aden, for having "leaked, disclosed, and handed over financial data to hostile countries and entities and collaborated with them to harm the Republic of Yemen and its citizens."
The agreement also stipulates "resuming Yemenia Airways’ flights between Sana’a and Jordan, increasing the number of flights to three daily flights, and operating flights to Cairo and India daily or as needed."
Last week, Sanaa's Minister of Transport, Major General Abdulwahab al-Durra, said that the "ongoing aggressive actions" leading to the complete shutdown of Sanaa International Airport were in response to Yemen's "steadfast stance on the Palestinian cause."
The UN statement said the warring parties have also agreed to "address the administrative, technical, and financial challenges" faced by the country's national airline.
On July 7, the leader of the Ansar Allah movement, Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, emphasized in a speech that Saudi Arabia's prevention of flights from Sanaa Airport is entirely unacceptable.
He described Saudi harassment of Yemeni banks, private banks, and companies as "unjust aggressive steps that cannot be accepted or overlooked."
Sayyed al-Houthi drew out an equation that everything would be met with reciprocity, “banks with banks, Riyadh airport with Sanaa airport, and ports with ports," outlining Yemen's responses to aggression.
The two parties will convene "meetings to discuss all economic and humanitarian issues based on the (UN) roadmap," said Grundberg's office.
It stressed the "need for the parties to collaborate toward an economy that benefits all Yemenis and supports the implementation of a nationwide ceasefire and the resumption of an inclusive political process."
In a related context, al-Durra confirmed that the agreement to resume flights from Sanaa International Airport to Jordan, India, and Egypt came in response to demands from the leadership in Sanaa as an initial step, calling for the reopening of all destinations available before the start of the aggression on Yemen.
Operations restored at Hodeidah port
Al-Durra told Al Mayadeen today that the Hodeidah port has been subject to "numerous conspiracies and bombardments" since 2015, and therefore, the technical and engineering units at the ports of the Yemen Red Sea Ports Corporation rush to perform their duties promptly following any aggression or bombardment targeting the port.
Sanaa's Minister of Transport recalled that the gantry cranes at the Hodeidah port, which have been recently targeted by Israeli warplanes, had been bombed in 2015 and repaired.
He added that all authorities have mobilized to rehabilitate and restart the Hodeidah port, confirming that operations have resumed at all berths except one that has already been under renovation for five months.
The Minister emphasized that, despite the aggression and bombardments, operations at the port were restored within 48 hours, with ships being received and their cargo unloaded.
Al-Durra clarified that there have been no issues related to the supply chains to the Hodeidah port, and grain ships have continued to unload their cargo.
Elsewhere, regarding oil derivatives ships, al-Durra confirmed that a solution has been found for the vessels through docking at alternative berths.
Read more: Yemen restores electricity in Hodeidah using alternative power sources
