Saudi officials condemn Iran over its role in Yemen
Saudi officials condemn Iran over its role in Yemen
The ongoing civil war in Yemen has resulted in the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today, and Saudi officials have told Fox News that Iran’s continued backing of the Houthi rebels in the country has only exacerbated the crisis.
Col. Turki Al-Maliki, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led Coalition of Arab countries, which supports the legitimate government in Yemen, told Fox News that Tehran, through the Houthis, is “intentionally aggravating the humanitarian crisis.”
In February the United Nations said that Yemen was the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. It noted that tens of thousands had been killed or injured, including more than 17,000 civilians. An additional 18 million people don’t have access to safe water with diseases such as cholera leaving thousands sick – 14 million people are affected with acute malnutrition.
Al-Maliki pointed to statements by UN officials and reports of, “how the Houthis have prevented food supplies from reaching Yemeni civilians and spent months preventing the delivery of vaccines that could have prevented cholera from spreading.”
Bordering Saudi Arabia and Oman, the conflict in Yemen started when Houthi rebels, who have since been backed by Iran, captured the capital Sana’a and overthrew the internationally recognized government. Fighting has raged on since 2015.
While the two sides agreed to some concessions in December following the Stockholm Agreement and a Security Council resolution that backed it up, the situation remains highly volatile. Earlier this week, Saudi airstrikes targeted a Houthi-controlled facility that, according to the coalition, was used to launch terrorist drones.
Al-Maliki said Saudi Arabia and coalition partner the United Arab Emirates have spent $16 billion on humanitarian aid and assistance to Yemen.
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