Right moves by UAE for peace in Yemen

The UAE deserves praise for taking all possible efforts to ease the suffering of the Yemeni people, standing with them in their difficult times, improving their humanitarian conditions and supporting them against the crimes repeatedly committed by the ruthless Houthi militias.

The UAE has strongly committed to the legitimacy-supporting coalition for ensuring the stability of Yemen, maintaining the integrity of its institutions and supporting the peace stream under the auspices of the United Nations.

It is well known that the UAE and Saudi Arabia share historically special bonds of love, brotherhood and unity.

The relationship has been a major stabilising force in dealing with the challenges and risks threatening Arab and Gulf security.

The UAE’s commitment to ensuring the security of Saudi Arabia against Houthi aggressions has been total.

In this background, redeployment by the UAE is taking place clearly for strategic reasons in Hodeidah and tactical reasons in other areas and will undoubtedly go a long way in enhancing peace opportunities.

The strategic plans will also help improve the efficiency of the Yemeni legitimate forces.

The UAE has become a global model for promoting peace and stability through its humanitarian role in Yemen and its assistance to victims of disasters and crises as the largest international aid donor relative to GDP.

The UAE provided as much as $5.59 billion in foreign assistance to Yemen between April 2015 and June 2019, which was used to help rebuild various sectors in the country, including vital infrastructure and to restore health and social service.

A breakdown of the aid reveals that 66 per cent of the amount went towards development ventures and 34 per cent to humanitarian relief.

The breakdown includes 15 per cent towards commodity aid, nine per cent for energy generation and supply, 53 per cent for general programme assistance, 11 per cent towards health services, four per cent to government and civil society, and three per cent for social services.

Much of the assistance was channeled through international organizations, such as the WFP, UNICEF, WHO, UNHCR and the ICRC.

The donations reached 22 Yemeni governorates, including Al Hodeidah, Taiz, Aden and Hadramaut, and assisted 17.2 million Yemenis, 11.2 million children and 3.3 million women.

The world community cannot anymore ignore the fact that atrocities by the Houthi militias continue unabated.

Iranian-backed Houthi militias violate international humanitarian law through drone attacks on citizens and residents of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and inside Yemen.

The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen on Monday evening managed to intercept and down a drone launched by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia towards the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, targeting civilian installations.

The Arab Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen also managed to thwart a terrorist attempt by the Houthi militia targeting a commercial ship in Red Sea early on Monday.

The Naval Forces of the Coalition foiled the Houthis’ attack in southern waters of the Red Sea using an unmanned booby-trapped Blue Fish boat, as per Colonel Turki Al Malki, official spokesman for the Coalition Forces.

Threatening the international navigation and trade by the Iran-backed Houthi militia is a terrorist act that the world community should take a serious note of.

The international community should also take a serious note of the fact that Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the Iranian-backed Houthi militias have forged a strong relationship, especially following the coup against the legitimate government in Yemen.