Abdullatif al-Washali
Press TV, Sana'a
For the first time since the beginning of the UN-brokered agreement in April, Yemenis are waiting in long lines in front of a limited number of operating petrol stations in the capital Sana'a to refill their vehicles. Yemen is suffering from a fresh fuel shortage due to Saudi Arabia’s ongoing blockade.
The Yemeni Petroleum Company announced the implementation of the emergency plan and is distributing fuel to a few stations only.
It held the United Nations responsible for the consequences of the Saudi violation as it did not ensure the implementation of the armistice terms that included allowing fuel ships to enter Yemen without any restrictions.
Since the beginning of the truce, only 33 fuel ships out of 54 have entered the country. However, Riyadh is still holding 9 fuel ships despite them obtaining UN permits and this is a clear violation of the UN-brokered agreement.
Observers believe that the Saudi seizure of oil ships and the Yemeni army's recent military parades indicate a return to military escalation. They say the UN-brokered truce has failed to achieve tangible results in relieving the humanitarian situation in the war-torn country.