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Ahram Online
An arms embargo on the Houthi rebels in Yemen was expanded by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday.
The UNSC says the Houthis have threatened the peace, security and stability of the war-torn country.“The rebels are responsible for attacking civilians, commercial shipping in the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates”, UNSC members stressed.
The Security Council had already imposed an asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo against Houthi leaders and top officials. However, Monday’s resolution expands the embargo to include all Houthis.
“The Iran-backed Houthis implemented a policy of sexual violence and repression against politically active and professional women engaged in the recruitment and use of children, indiscriminately used land mines, improvised explosive devices and obstructed humanitarian aid to Yemenis”, the UNSC resolution read.
The Monday vote was 11-0, with Ireland, Norway, Brazil and Mexico abstaining amid concerns about the negative impact on the humanitarian situation in the Arab world’s poorest country and the risk of undermining a fragile political process.
Yemen has been convulsed by civil war since 2014 when the Houthis took control of the capital Sanaa and much of the Northern parts of the country. The rebels forced the internationally recognised government to flee to the South of Yemen and then to Saudi Arabia.
A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in March 2015 aiming to restore President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power. Despite a relentless air campaign and ground fighting the war has deteriorated into a stalemate and spawned one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
