ADEN, May 21 (KUNA) -- The Yemeni Government on Tuesday lauded "courage and responsibility" of the World Food Programme (WFP) for revealing disruptive acts by the Houthi militias against humanitarian operations in Yemen.
The Yemeni Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the WFP disclosed that the greatest challenge to humanitarian action in Yemen is not fighting, but obstacles placed by the Houthi commanders in regions under the militia control.
Houthi militiamen have detained and threatened relief workers, looted humanitarian supplies, obstructed relief convoys and intervened in distribution of food to shift supplies to persons they favor, the statement said.
It decried "some international organizations operating in Yemen" for abstention from condemning the Houthi militias' practices, charging that "they have been seeking to beautify the ugly face of those who snatch the food from the mouths of hungry (Yemenis)." The ministry called for denouncing the Houthi militias' breaches and taking firm measures for fair delivery of the humanitarian supplies. "Silence and negligence of such violations undermine credibility of the humanitarian operations, complicate the situation and prolong the war in Yemen," it warned.
The WFP on Monday warned it would halt humanitarian action in regions under the Houthi militias' control, affirming that the greatest challenge in the face of the relief teams is not the fighting but non-cooperation on part of the Houthi commanders and their intervention in the World Food Programme tasks." sns.rk