Arab Coalition attacks Port of Hodeidah

Ocean carrier MSC said it will divert cargo destined for Hodeidah to the Port of Aden after airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition caused major damage to port infrastructure.

   Warplanes from the Saudi-led Arab Coalition attacked the Port of Hodeidah in Yemen on Monday, causing major damage to port infrastructure.
   The airstrikes targeted the Red Sea port’s berth number eight, cranes, a World Food Program warehouse, port control building, port authority warehouse and the customs building, according to online news outlet Maritime Executive.
   No casualties have been reported and no workers were present during the attack.
   The Port of Hodeidah is known for being a primary import hub for aid supplies to North Yemen.
   The Houthi militia, which controls Hodeidah, is supported by army units loyal to the former president of Yemen, Ali Abudullah Saleh. The Saudi-led coalition accused the Houthi militias of confiscating aid supplies for military purposes.
   Philippe Clerc, country director for the international aid group Oxfam, called the port bombing “a condemnable attack on a civilian target.”
   “The coalition airstrikes of Hodeidah’s port is yet another example of an attack on a civilian target,” said Clerc. “We utterly condemn it – and all actions taken by any party to the conflict that harms civilians or civilian infrastructure. These airstrikes follow the ports closure to vessels carrying vital commercial supplies for nearly a fortnight. Resuming supplies coming through Hodeidah, like other Yemeni ports, is essential.”
   “In Yemen, over 21 million people need aid; 13 million people don’t have enough food to eat. Such attacks need to end immediately. We need to find a permanent end to the fighting and a negotiated peace.”
   As of yesterday, Hodeidah was blockaded by the Yemen navy and air force, but commercial vessels were cleared to enter the port.
   Ocean carrier MSC said in a customer advisory note it will divert cargo originally destined for Hodeidah to the Port of Aden, Yemen’s other major cargo port.