UN urges Yemen port inspection amid reports of military use
The UN mission says that the port is 'a crucial lifeline for millions of Yemeni people'
The UN mission in Yemen's rebel-held port of Hodeidah expressed "great concern" on Tuesday over claims it was being used for military purposes and demanded access for an inspection.
The United Nations Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement said the port is vital for the impoverished country, where a seven-year war is pushing millions to the brink of famine.
"UNMHA reminds the parties that Hodeidah ports are a crucial lifeline for millions of Yemeni people," it said in a statement.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting alongside government forces accused the Iran-backed Houthi rebels of militarizing the Red Sea ports and threatened to attack them after the insurgents seized a United Arab Emirates-flagged ship last week.
The coalition says that the Rwabee was carrying medical supplies but the Houthis insist it was a military ship.
The hijacking on January 3 raised fears that the conflict could spill over into the Red Sea, a vital route for Gulf oil and cargo shipments.
It could also have severe consequences for Yemen, which the UN says is facing the world's worst humanitarian crisis, if it draws attacks on Hodeidah.
"UNMHA has requested as part of its mandate to undertake an inspection," the statement said, adding that protecting the ports was "in the interest of the Yemeni people."
The UN mission is aimed at preserving the often ignored Hodeidah Agreement, a ceasefire for the port agreed upon at Yemen's last peace talks in Sweden in 2018.