Foreign Minister Discusses in Berlin the Repercussions of the Houthi Siege on Taiz
On Wednesday, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Afrah Al-Zouba discussed with a German official in Berlin the repercussions of the Houthi group's military escalation on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, primarily the siege imposed on the city of Taiz, and ways to enhance German support for relief efforts.
During her meeting with Niels Annen, Parliamentary State Secretary to the German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Al-Zouba reviewed the consequences of the Houthi escalation since last June. She pointed out that the siege on Taiz has exacerbated the suffering of the population, especially women, children, and the sick, amid the closure of health facilities, medicine shortages, and the absence of safe corridors.
The minister also addressed what she described as violations committed by the Houthi group, including the recruitment of children and the indiscriminate planting of mines, as well as the continued detention of dozens of UN staff and humanitarian workers. She noted that several of them have died in detention, most recently UN employee Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Shami.
She also warned of the repercussions of Houthi targeting of international shipping lanes and what she described as the group's coordination with armed organizations in the Horn of Africa, primarily the Somali Al-Shabaab movement, considering it a threat to international navigation security and energy and food supplies.
For his part, the German official expressed his country's concern about the humanitarian situation in Taiz and other Yemeni regions, affirming Berlin's commitment to exploring ways to enhance its support for relief and humanitarian response efforts in Yemen.
المصدر: Saba Net
