The Humanitarian Implications of Saudi Piracy Against Oil, Food Supplies (Report)
YemenExtra
The Saudi-led aggression (coalition) against Yemen continues its unjust siege through maritime piracy actions aimed at impeding the arrival of oil derivative tankers to the port of Hodeidah, which led to an increase in the suffering of the people of Yemen in various aspects of their lives.
With the spread of the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Yemen and the declaration of a state of emergency to confront it, the Saudi coalition of aggression goes back again to detain oil and food ships, in a miserable attempt by it to expand the number of infected and spread among Yemenis.
The Yemeni Oil Company reiterated its assertion that the aggression coalition continued to arbitrarily detain about (21) tankers fuel and home gas for varying periods, reaching its maximum for ships currently held for a period of 83 days. The company has requested the United Nations to assume full responsibility for this detention and its implications regarding health and economic conditions, in addition to the livelihood of civilians.
Inhumane Crime:
Dr. Mohamed Al-Daous, Administrative Director of Al-Amal Specialist Hospital in Sanaa says: The detention and piracy of tankers by the “evil” coalition is a major crime, and it affects negatively on hospitals in particular and the health sector in general; thus, this could result in a health catastrophe and exacerbates the health situation and increases its suffering and deterioration, or it even can lead to an entire stop of all services provided to the general public, as hospitals depend entirely on oil derivatives, especially diesel, to generate electrical energy because most medical devices and equipment rely mainly on electricity.
The same repercussions apply to all hospitals, the health sector in general, which is confirmed by Dr. Salah Al-Kayyal, the director of Al-Sahab Hospital in the capital, Sana’a, where he stresses that the lack of electricity due to the blockade of oil derivatives could lead to the disfunction of all medical devices, which will greatly affect hospitals In general, and the victims of this disaster the civilians of Yemen.
Dr. Al-Kayyal condemned the detention of oil and food vessels at sea, describing the situation as an “inhuman crime”. He called on the United Nations to play its role and stop overlooking these crimes that break humanitarian law, in addition, to do its humanitarian duty properly as an international organization to end the unjust siege immediately that is affecting all people of Yemen.
Catastrophic Repercussions:
In addition to the health sector and its suffering as a result of the Saudi piracy on oil tankers, the agricultural sector is one of the most vital sectors that are also in deep need of the oil derivatives. Farmers depend on irrigating their crops using fuel to pump water.
The farmer Naguib Ali Hussein, from Bani-Matar district, an area known for its agriculture, complains about the piracy over oil derivatives, saying: Our agricultural crops of “carrots, potatoes and tomatoes” were dried out and damaged due to the crisis of oil derivatives, so we have to go buy few liters from the black market, but in high costs and in amounts we can not afford. The Farmer appealed to all international bodies to pressure the countries participating in the Saudi coalition of aggression to end the embargo on oil ships and lift the blockade on Yemen.
Mohamed Ali Sharhan, another farmer from the same aforementioned district, says: The crisis we are in effects every Yemeni farmer and it is very difficult. Our suffering is great due to the oil derivative crisis, which was mainly caused by the detention of tankers and ships carrying oil and food. The crops we plant depend entirely on oil derivatives, especially diesel that we use to generate various machines and equipment, such as watering the plants and operating agricultural machinery.
Moreover, he called on the humanitarian organizations, and the international community aid the Yemeni people by stopping the embargo and halt the piracy of oil, food, and medicine ships.
Prices Increase:
The commercial sector was also greatly affected as a result of the siege. The merchant Ismail Al-Matri, who works in the sale and trade of foodstuffs, confirms that the detention of oil and food derivative vessels by the aggression has decreased the process of buying and selling, and an increase in food prices, mainly because of the high wages paid fo transportation between the governorates.
“This is what increased our suffering for us merchants at first, then increased the suffering of citizens,” the merchant Matri said.
Moreover, electricity stations are also directly affected by piracy of ships and their detention offshore, which has caused a shortage of the amount of diesel needed for stations to function properly.
We summarized the suffering of this sector by the words of Faris Al-Hadidiqi, director of the facility of “Tasheel” for generating electrical energy.
“Oil derivatives, especially diesel, are from the essentials of life that cannot be neglected, and the impact of its discontinuation on us and the civilians is great. The aggression coalition acts of seizing oil tankers and food ships are inhumane and not related to humanity,” Faris Al-Hadidiqi said.
He added: Although the ships have been inspected by the United Nations and were given permits, the coalition of aggression and those claiming humanity in them have the are starving the Yemeni people and doubling their suffering.
People Starving:
Fahad Al-Aidarous, director of the “Tasheel” stations for selling petroleum products in Sana’a, confirms that the process of seizing oil tankers by the aggression of coalition in Yemen has resulted in a major humanitarian catastrophe, particularly on civilians, oil merchants, and various service sectors and all fields.
Al-Aidarous said that this inhumane action by the aggression aims at starving the Yemeni people and increase their suffering, but the Yemeni people are known for their strength, patience, and steadfastness.
In addition, he called on the international community and all humanitarian organizations to pressure the countries within the coalition to lift the blockade imposed on the people of Yemen.
Stopping Life:
Even the ordinary citizen was not spared from the harm of the detention of oil tankers at sea. Citizen Abdel Baqi Yahya Hassan, who is a taxi-driver that tries to support his family, has been impacted deeply by this crisis. He spends 3-5 days on queues snaked around gas stations to refill his car with only 30 liters of gasoline. Sometimes, he waits and leaves desperately without getting anything.
Abdel-Baqi says: Our suffering is indescribable, and the brutal aggression against our country is ruthless. The process of piracy of oil vessels indicates a cowardly step that denotes its cowardice and proves to us that it is a criminal enemy that is devoid of the humanity it claims.
Mo’ath Al-Hijazi is another citizen who has a car repair workshop. He also suffers under the stifling oil derivative crisis and explains that his work has decreased significantly by more than 80% due to the lack of movement of cars and transportation. Mo’ath added that this catastrophe is all due to the Saudi-American Zionist aggression and its unjust siege on our country and the piracy of oil, Gas, food and medicine.
As for Shadi Shaalan, another citizen working in one of the automobile repairs shops, he says: “Our suffering is indescribable as a result of the detention of ships at sea. The prices of transportation have multiplied many times, as well as the prices of foodstuffs and the prices of water, electricity, etc. .. This great suffering is caused by the brutal aggression on our country and its suffocating oppressive siege.”
Mowaffaq Al-Hilal, a grocery owner who has a car that carries his needs from the merchants, is also suffering as a result of this stifling oil crisis .. He describes to us his suffering by saying: “The detention of ships of oil and food by the aggression coalition has caused us very great suffering in transportation and trade, and reflected negatively on all Yemenis in general. At a time when epidemics and diseases, especially the Corona pandemic, are spreading, the crisis exacerbates, in addition to the salaries-cut off. The aggression aims through all of this to starve the Yemeni people and subject them to fulfill its aggressive brutal plans.