Saudi Arabia has no relation, involvement in targeting Hodeidah: Saudi Ministry of Defence

The official spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence of Saudi Arabia, Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki, said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has no relation or involvement in targeting Hodeidah.

In a statement on Sunday carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Brigadier General Al-Maliki affirmed that the Kingdom will not allow any entity to violate its airspace.

Saudi Arabia distanced itself from the Yemen strikes, with a defence ministry spokesman saying Riyadh had "no links to or involvement in targeting Hodeida".

"The kingdom will not allow its airspace to be infiltrated by any party," said Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki.

Hodeida port, a vital entry point for imports and international aid for rebel-held areas of Yemen, had remained largely untouched through the decade-long war between the Houthis and the internationally recognised government propped up by neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis control swathes of Yemen, including much of its Red Sea coast, and the war has left millions of Yemenis dependent on aid supplied through the port.

"Traders now fear that this will exacerbate the already critical food security and humanitarian situation in northern Yemen, as the majority of trade flows through this port," said Mohammed Albasha, senior Middle East analyst for the US-based Navanti Group.

Agencies