After the international pressing orchestrated by international organisations over Saudi Arabia, to lift the blockade on Yemenite ports in order to stop the ongoing humanitarian disaster, it seems that nothing has changed. Surprisingly, there is no indication of aid or commerce coming into Yemen through the key port of Hodeidah, in spite of the Saudi pledge to stop the blockade for a month from the 20th of December. Two weeks after the announcements, the port remains empty. No merchants or reliefs vessels bringing first-necessity supplies were seen anchored at its harbour. The port manager declares that the blockade is still in effect. It is useful to underline that Yemen depends on imports, about 90% of its needs are from imports. Yemen, the poorer country of the Middle East, is struck by one of the world worst humanitarian disaster. Over 75% of Yemenite’s 27 million population, including 11.3 million children, are in dire need of humanitarian aid, as the UN said ten days after Saudis had supposedly lifted the blockade. It is estimated that over 60% of Yemenis are on the brink of starvation. The representatives of humanitarian and relief agencies emphasized the importance of lifting the blockade immediately. For them, in order to really demonstrate the willingness to put an end to the humanitarian disaster, the port of Hodeidah must be open all-year long to commercial and reliefs shipments, without conditions or timeline to that.
