UN concerned over falling imports at Yemen’s lifeline port

The United Nations has warned that operations at the strategic Yemeni port of Hudaydah have plunged by nearly 50 percent over the past two weeks, making it difficult for local residents to afford their basic commodities in the wake of the recent wave of violence there.

The United Nations has warned that operations at the strategic Yemeni port of Hudaydah have plunged by nearly 50 percent over the past two weeks, making it difficult for local residents to afford their basic commodities in the wake of the recent wave of violence there.

The World Food Programme warned on Tuesday that imports had fallen substantially “because of the high levels of insecurity in the city” as Saudi-sponsored militiamen are engaged in a fierce offensive against fighters from the Houthi Ansarullah movement to establish control over Hudaydah.

“Operations at Hodeida Port have decreased by 47 percent over the past two weeks,” WFP spokesman Herve Verhoosel told reporters in the Swiss city of Geneva.

The UN estimates that 70 percent of all imports into Yemen come through the port of Hudaydah, which lies on the Red Sea.