UN Envoy Expresses Serious Concerns Regarding US Airstrikes Near Yemen's Fuel Port
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Synopsis
UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg raises alarms over US airstrikes at Ras Isa fuel port, urging restraint and protection of civilians. The strikes have resulted in significant casualties and threaten peace efforts in Yemen.
Key Takeaways
- Hans Grundberg expresses serious concerns over US airstrikes.
- Recent strikes threaten civilian safety and infrastructure.
- Ongoing conflict jeopardizes peace efforts in Yemen.
- Houthi group vows retaliation following airstrikes.
- At least 80 casualties reported from recent attacks.
Aden, April 21 (NationPress) UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg expressed his serious concerns regarding the recent US airstrikes in and around the Ras Isa fuel port, located to the northwest of Yemen's Red Sea city of Hodeidah.
In a statement shared on social media platform X, he stated, "Echoing the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, I am deeply troubled by the repercussions of the US airstrikes at Ras Isa port on civilians, especially truck drivers and port workers, in addition to the damage to civilian infrastructure."
He noted that the ongoing cycle of attacks in the Red Sea region, involving Houthis and the United States, "endangers peace initiatives and threatens to pull Yemen deeper into the regional conflict." He called for all parties to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and prioritize the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure in line with international law, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
Grundberg emphasized that attacks on the Red Sea must cease, accompanied by "credible assurances" to prevent the area from becoming a prolonged conflict zone—an essential step to maintain Yemen's pathway to peace and ensure global security.
Following the deadliest assault since the US airstrikes resumed in mid-March, the US military executed a series of strikes on Thursday night targeting the Houthi-controlled Ras Isa fuel port, destroying concrete tanks that stored imported fuel. According to updates from Houthi-controlled health authorities, at least 80 individuals lost their lives, and 150 others sustained injuries.
Among the victims were port workers and five paramedics, who tragically died in a subsequent wave of airstrikes while responding to aid the injured.
On Saturday morning, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthi Revolutionary Committee, pledged to retaliate against the renewed US airstrikes. Later that day, the group reported downing two US-made MQ-9 drones within a 24-hour period.
