The International Community Timidly Condemns the Houthis Attack

Reports

Sat, 22-10-2022 06:40 PM, Aden

Hadramout (South24)

International reactions continued to condemn the attack carried out by the Iranian-backed Houthis, on Friday, against an oil port in Hadramout governorate, South Yemen. However, these reactions were criticized as "weak" by Yemenis.

In a statement, UN Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg said: "I condemn the attack claimed by Ansar Allah [Houthis]. This escalation is deeply disturbing. I call for restraint."

US Ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin said: "We join our partners and allies in strongly condemning the Houthi attack on Ash-Shihr port."

"We call on the Houthis to immediately halt such attacks, which are an affront to the navigational rights and freedoms and jeopardize international navigation," he added.

The British Embassy in Yemen also condemned the attack. It called on the Houthis to "show leadership by taking the peaceful route and putting the Yemeni people first."

In a statement, the European Union expressed its condemnation of the attack that targeted a Greek oil cargo ship in the Dabba oil port.

The statement said: "We strongly condemn the October 21 attack targeting VLCC Nissos Kea vessel, on Yemen’s Al-Dabba port. Fortunately, no lives were lost in the attack."

The European Union warned of the repercussions of the attack on international navigation and the arrival of ships to Yemeni ports, and the flow of basic commodities into the country.

The statement added: "The Houthi attacks on international navigation are an affront to core principles of the Law of the Sea."

Yemeni activists saw these convictions as "weak" and did not reflect the reality and risks of the attack.

Yemeni activist Rasha Jarhum tweeted: "The international statements on the attack on Dabba port in Hadramout, South Yemen, falls short and almost brushing the terrorist threat by the Houthis off. It is almost saying we have to wait for a USS Cole 2.0 to happen to take more serious action."

Another Yemeni political analyst said in an interview with the Saudi "Al-Hadath" channel, which was reviewed by "South24", that the statements were "insufficient", considering the Houthis attack on the Dabba port as a dangerous transformation that threatens international interests.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack. On Friday evening, the Houthis' so-called "economic committee" renewed its threats to ships and oil companies in Yemen.

The Houthis' foreign minister Hisham Sharaf said the attack on the Dabba port was "a first step that can be escalated, and a message to the region and the world."

In the Arab world, the Saudi Foreign Ministry described the attack as "terrorist" in a statement, and said that it "confirms the continuation of the Houthi militias and those behind them in targeting global energy corridors."

The statement added: "The attack represents a flagrant violation of Security Council Resolution No. 2216. It is an escalation after the end of the UN truce in Yemen."

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also warned the Houthis against "exploiting the current international circumstances to fuel the conflict in Yemen and threaten the security of the region and navigation routes."

Egypt held the Houthis "responsible for the escalation and obstruction of efforts to extend the truce." It also warned from "attempts to seize the economic capabilities of the people."

The Arab Parliament warned of the "dangerous repercussions of this Houthis escalation on security and stability in the region." In a statement, the Arab League also condemned the attack.

On Friday, the Dabba oil port in the Ash-Shihr district of the Hadramout governorate was attacked by two explosive drones, coinciding with the arrival of a Greek oil cargo ship.

The Yemeni Ministry of Transport said, on Friday, that this attack is the second of its kind, just days after a similar attack targeting the Radhum oil port in Shabwa governorate.

The Yemeni government submitted a letter of protest to the UN Security Council regarding the attack on the two oil ports, according to Al Arabiya TV.

JAMES HARDY / MAXPPP

The International Community Timidly Condemns the Houthis Attack