The Ministry of Transport and Public Works and the Red Sea Ports Corporation held a press conference on Saturday, at the Port of Hodeidah to highlight the damage caused to the port’s infrastructure by the Zionist aggression, which hit it early Thursday morning, killing nine people and injuring three others.
During the conference, Minister of Transport and Public Works, Mohammed Ayash Quhim, praised the efforts of the leadership and staff of the Red Sea Ports Corporation in “efficiently resuming activities at the Port of Hodeidah following the aggression attack.”
The minister condemned the repeated targeting of civilian sites in Hodeidah and power stations, which is a blatant violation of international agreements, amidst international and UN silence regarding these ongoing Israeli crimes and violations, which are supported by the US and the UK.
Quhim pointed out that the aggression on the ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Issa aims to disrupt the operational processes of the ports and exacerbate the suffering of the Yemeni people, in an attempt to pressure Yemenis to stop supporting the people of Gaza, who are facing genocide by the Zionists with US support.
He emphasized that this Israeli, American, and British aggression will only increase the Yemeni people and their leadership’s steadfastness and determination to confront the aggression and support the Palestinian cause and the brave resistance in Gaza.
The minister expressed his strong condemnation of the United Nations’ silence regarding the targeting of civilian sites in Hodeidah, Sana’a, and other governorates, considering this silence as complicity in the crimes of aggression.
For his part, the CEO of the Red Sea Ports Corporation, Captain Zaid Al-Washli, reviewed the damage caused to the ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Issa due to the aggression, stating that the initial losses from July to December 2024 amounted to approximately 313 million dollars.
He added that the aggression led to the martyrdom of 9 employees and the injury of 3 others.
Al-Washli confirmed that the Red Sea Ports are considered civilian assets protected under international agreements, highlighting the significant efforts of the corporation’s staff to resume operations and ensure continued service to the Yemeni people.
Meanwhile, the Commander of the Coastal Defense, Major General Mohammed Al-Qadari, stated that the blood of the martyrs at the Port of Hodeidah due to the Israeli aggression, supported by the US, will not be in vain.
He emphasized that the Yemeni air, missile, and naval forces will respond strongly.
He clarified that these attacks will not deter the Yemeni people and leadership from continuing their support for the Palestinian people and their resistance until the aggression ends and the siege on Gaza is lifted.
The statement issued by the conference condemned the repeated crimes of the Israeli aggression on the ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Issa, the latest of which occurred early Thursday, December 19, 2024, causing the martyrdom of 9 people and injuries to 3 others, along with significant damage to the infrastructure of these vital ports, which are a lifeline for the Yemeni people.
The statement pointed out that the attacks targeted the gantry cranes, the power station, the boats, and the auxiliary tractors for the ships, resulting in losses estimated at 313 million dollars from July to December 2024.
It confirmed that these crimes are a blatant violation of international laws and the United Nations Charter, including the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit targeting economic and service facilities as civilian assets.
The statement called on the international community, the UN, and relevant organizations to hold accountable those responsible for the ongoing targeting and destruction of the Red Sea Ports and to stop using economic facilities as tools of political pressure, worsening the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, which has been under siege since 2015.
