Transport minister meets Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen
Minister of Transport Abdel Wahab al-Durrah met on Tuesday Resident Representative of the United Nations and the Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen William Grisley.
During the meeting, which included the President of the Civil Aviation and Meteorology Authority, Mohammed Abdulqadir, discussed issues related to the humanitarian aspect and raising the suffering of citizens as a result of the aggression and siege.
It touched on the continued detention of the oil derivatives ships despite obtaining UN permits, as well as issues of importance regarding emptying the Safer tank and replacing it with another according to the agreement signed between the United Nations and the Government of National Salvation.
The meeting also touched on the projects committed by the United Nations Development Program to rehabilitate the port of Hodeida according to the “Stockholm Agreement”, of which only one project has been implemented, and the importance of starting the operation of new destinations for flights through Sana’a International Airport and the provision of navigation devices to the airport.
In the meeting, the Minister of Transport stressed the importance of expediting the implementation of the projects of rehabilitating the port of Hodeida by the UNDP, expressing regret for the slowdown in implementation, as the port suffers from a shortage of priority equipment and devices from cranes, “bridge cranes and launchers”
He pointed out that the UNDP had implemented only a small part, not exceeding a container hanger, while it was supposed to deliver alternative cranes to the cranes targeted by the aggression, according to the study approved by the United Nations and European Union team.
Minister al-Durra indicated that the aggression is still practicing maritime piracy on oil derivatives ships, despite being subject to prior inspection, which represents a clear violation of the terms of the extension of the armistice.
He stressed the need to speed up work on replacing the Safer tank in order to avoid an environmental disaster in the Red Sea that threatens all countries bordering it, even the Suez Canal.
He touched on the importance of starting flights with new destinations through Sana’a International Airport during the coming period, and providing navigation devices to the airport instead of those destroyed by the aggression.
For his part, the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority stressed the need to provide devices and equipment to Sana’a Airport to enhance its navigation and humanitarian services, indicating that Sana’a Airport was working before the aggression with advanced navigational communication and communication devices, but it was deliberately destroyed by the aggression.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Resident Representative – Humanitarian Coordinator confirmed that the UNDP will work to provide the equipment required to develop air navigation at Sana’a Airport.
He explained that the issue of Hodeida port will be discussed in the meeting to be held on the twentieth of next September with donors in order to find solutions and alleviate the suffering of citizens.
“With regard to Safer ship, there are 15 countries that contributed to supporting the urgent implementation of the tank replacement plan,” he said, stressing that work is currently being done to finalize the final consensus on various humanitarian issues in Yemen.