Houthis Reject UN Call To Release UAE-Flagged Cargo Ship

Houthi rebels in Yemen rejected a United Nations request to release a cargo ship sailing under the flag of the United Arab Emirates that the Houthis seized in the Red Sea near the Yemeni port of Hodeida. The Houthis reportedly also continue to hold the 11-member crew, which is made up of seven Indians and one crew member each from Ethiopia, Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines.

The M/V Rwabee cargo ship that was seized on January 3 is carrying medical field equipment that was used to operate the Saudi Field Hospital in the Island of Socotra. The mission had concluded and the equipment was being shipped to Saudi’s Jazan Port, according to the Saudi-led coalition that is backing Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The Houthis say that the ship is carrying military supplies.

The UN Security Council on Friday released a statement adopted unanimously that called for “the immediate release of the vessel and its crew.” It also expressed concern for the crew’s safety.

Houthi official Hussein al-Azzi accused the UN of siding with “murderers who violate international laws,” Al Jazeera reported.

The Yemen military and the Houthis have been locked in a civil war since 2014 when the Houthis removed the government from the capital, Sanaa.