YEMEN: The UN has condemned Saudi coalition airstrikes on the Port of Hodeidah in Northern Yemen, which have resulted in the port’s closure while the country is threatened by famine.
In a statement to the UN Security-Council, Stephen O’Brien, the UN’s under secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said: “These attacks are in clear contravention of international humanitarian law and are unacceptable.”
The bombing of the Houthi-stronghold earlier this week caused damage to gantries, straddle carriers, warehousing and silos as well as other port infrastructure according to an MSC spokesperson.
Yahya Sharaf Abbas, the head of the national ports management on the Red Sea, told the Maritime News Journal: “They destroyed all five cranes and totally disabled the container terminal.”
However, Rima Kamal, spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Yemen told CM that the ICRC has been informed by the local port authority that two out of nine piers are damaged while the rest are still capable of being operational.
An MSC notice following the bombing stated that the port would be closed until further notice, with all operations to be seriously impacted for the foreseeable future.
The shipping line added that it could no longer accept any Hodeidah-bound cargo on its vessels, and would instead divert Hodeidah-destined shipments currently at sea to Aden in the south of Yemen.
The coalition-controlled Port of Aden is being advertised as open for business by Yemeni authorities although it “remains commercially quiet with few vessels conducting cargo operations” according to maritime security company, MAST.
Shipping activity at Port Qasim on February 11
KARACHI: Three ships namely, Glen Canyon, Al-Salam- II and TSM Pollux carrying Containers, Gas oil and Palm oil were arranged...
