Saudi Arabia: UN’s support of Houthi militias is unacceptable

Saudi Arabia expressed its deep condemnation of the report by a UN committee stating that the United Nations has provided $14 million to the Yemeni Ministry of Education run by the Houthi militia in Yemen; as the militias are planting thousands of mines inside Yemen and on the Saudi border.

Saudi Arabia asked the committee to reconsider the submitted report, and reflect facts that has been ignored asking for the commitment of all involved United Nations organizations, regarding resolution 2216, stressing that United Nations support for the Houthi militias was unjustifiable and unacceptable.

At least 50,000 mines on the Saudi-Yemeni border

Saudi Arabia confirmed that the Houthi and Saleh’s militias has planted and deployed at least 50,000 mines on the Saudi-Yemeni border, engrained tens of thousands of mines in populated Yemeni cities and villages, and laid mines in the Red Sea near the Saudi border.

Not to mention these facts in the report submitted to the United Nations Commission on the matter, is a serious disregard for what these mines pose to the security and safety of Saudi Arabia.

This came in a speech delivered by the Saudi delegation to the United Nations on Wednesday to the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) on Mine Action section number 50.

In addition, the delegation of Saudi Arabia expressed its appreciation for the efforts of the United Nations in the area of mine clearance, and the efforts to achieve the United Nations’ Mine Action Strategy for the period 2013-2018.

This is to ensure the safety of people from mines and explosives, and in line with the achievement of the goals of the United Nations' Plan for Sustainable Development 2030.

Mines in the Red Sea

The mines pose a threat throughout the world, and Saudi Arabia is one of those countries that face the threat of landmines with regard to its population and territorial integrity. The Houthi and Saleh’s militias have planted and deployed at least 50,000 mines on the Saudi-Yemeni borders.

They have also developed stone-like landmines which are easy to conceal in the local environment, to increase the risk of targeting civilians.

They also planted tens of thousands of mines indiscriminately in the populated cities and villages of Yemen, leading to the killing of thousands of civilians, as well as planting mines in the Red Sea near the Saudi border.

The mines located in the Red Sea by the coast of Midi and the island of Tawak and in many other areas, threaten the security and safety of international maritime passages, the regional and international security and represent a flagrant violation of related Security Council resolutions.