Saudi-led coalition impounds two Yemen-bound oil tankers despite UN clearance

The Yemen Petroleum Company (YPC) says the Saudi-led coalition, which has been waging a devastating military campaign against Yemen since 2015, has banned two oil tankers bound for the war-ravaged country from docking at Hudaydah port.

Essam al-Mutawakel, a spokesman for the YPC, said in a tweet on Thursday that the Saudi-led coalition seized the vessels named Fos Energy and Princess Halimah, which were carrying thousands of tons of diesel fuel, despite securing UN clearance in Djibouti.

Mutawakel added that the latest incident brings to three the number of fuel ships impounded by the Riyadh-led military alliance.

“Such measures are meant to increase the suffering of the Yemeni nation and tighten the ongoing siege,” the senior Yemeni energy official noted.

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• US, UK preparing for fresh escalation in Yemen: Ansarullah

Last week, the YPC said in a statement that the continued detention of Yemen-bound fuel ships has led to substantial fines over lengthy delays in offloading the shipments, and the figure stands at approximately 11 million dollars.

He added that only 33 fuel ships out of 54 tankers reached the strategic Hudaydah port in western Yemen during the six-month UN-brokered truce, which was first accepted in April and saw a lull in fighting between warring sides in the impoverished Arab nation.

The Yemen Petroleum Company also held the Saudi-led coalition of aggression and the United Nations fully responsible for the adverse humanitarian and economic repercussions of the ongoing blockade.

Official: Saudi-led coalition continues to loot Yemen's resources

Meanwhile, the minister for finance in Yemen’s National Salvation Government said on Thursday night that the Saudi-led coalition continues to loot the country’s natural resources.

“Efforts to stop the plundering of Yemen's crude oil have proven successful; but the process has not come to a complete halt yet,” Rashid Abu Houham stated.

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• Yemeni army troops thwart oil smuggling attempt in energy-rich Shabwah province: Spokesman

He added, “A significant proportion of Yemen’s natural reserves and national assets is being looted in Hadhramaut province and Socotra Island. Their proceeds must spent for better livelihoods of Yemeni people.”

Saudi Arabia launched the devastating war on Yemen in March 2015 in collaboration with its Arab allies and with arms and logistics support from the US and other Western states.

The objective was to reinstall the Riyadh-friendly Hadi regime and crush the Ansarullah resistance movement, which has been running state affairs in the absence of a functional government in Yemen.

While the Saudi-led coalition has failed to meet any of its objectives, the war has killed hundreds of thousands of Yemenis and spawned the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

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