US-Saudi_Coalition Continues to Detain 12 Oil Ships Bound for Hodiedah’s Port

The American-Saudi Coalition continues to detain 12 oil ships, with hundred of tons of petroleum products, arbitrarily and for varying periods, some have been held for a period of 47 days. Yemen Petroleum Company (YPC) asserted in a statement that the period of arbitrary detention amounted to approximately five months, in clear violation of the provisions of the International Convention on Human Rights, the rules of international humanitarian law, and all applicable laws and customs. The aggression is ignoring the Stockholm Agreement, which stresses to allow all ships with permits to freely have access to the port.

The company confirmed that these factual data contradicts completely what was stated in the briefings of the UN envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, before the Security Council, on January 16, 2020, and on October 22, 2019, during which he claimed that the fuel ships entered the port of Hodeidah without any obstacles.

The company indicated in its statement that the Coalition continues to blockade Yemeni citizens through maritime piracy. It is impeding the arrival of oil derivative ships, domestic gas, food, medicine and other urgent needs to the port of Hodeidah.

Detention of these ships takes place eventhough they have completed all procedures for inspection and auditing in Djibouti, through the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNIVM).