https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 13:13:14 +0000 en-GB Middle East Monitor 30 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com 32 32 116394717 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-turkish-coast-guard-saves-130-migrants-pushed-back-by-greece/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 10:47:43 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658160 A total of 130 irregular migrants pushed back into Turkish territorial waters by Greek forces were rescued on Saturday by the Turkish Coast Guard off the coasts of western Izmir province's Menderes, Karaburun, Foca and Cesme districts, Anadolu reports. Meanwhile, 265 irregular migrants and a migrant smuggler were caught off the coasts of Karaburun and Dikili. Irregular migrants were handed to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management after procedures. READ: Tunisia rescues 15,000 migrants in first half of 2023 And 170 irregular migrants in rubber boats were caught by the Coast Guard off the coast of western Canakkale province's Ayvacik district. Coast Guard Northern Aegean Group Command teams detected four rubber boats with irregular migrants off the coast of Ayvacik. During […]]]> 658160 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-5-yemen-soldiers-killed-in-al-qaeda-attack-on-abyan/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 11:03:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657229 At least five Yemeni soldiers were killed in armed clashes with Al-Qaeda militants yesterday in the southern province of Abyan. The slain were said to be fighters loyal to the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC), according to spokesman Mohammed Al-Naqib. In a statement, Al-Naqib said the dawn attack took place in Wadi Omran in Abyan province and targeted Southern Armed Forces who were "tasked with confronting Al-Qaeda" in the region. The spokesman said "five troops were killed and four others were wounded" in the attack that involved heavy fire from artillery, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. "The terrorist elements retreated to their hiding places after failing to seize control of the area," he added. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) as […]]]> 657229 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-saudi-arabia-to-grant-yemen-1-2bn-in-economic-aid/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 14:41:22 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657115 Saudi Arabia has approved a $1.2 billion grant to Yemen's internationally-recognised government, led by the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), as part of efforts to prop up the war-torn country's flagging economy, AFP reported citing two officials. According to the sources, Yemen's finance minister and central bank governor as well as the Saudi ambassador are expected to disclose details of the grant at a signing ceremony in Riyadh at 5pm (1400 GMT). News of the grant was reported by Reuters earlier today citing a Saudi source who disclosed that the support will contribute to strengthening security and preventing a return of military clashes. The substantial funds would encourage dialogue on all sides to reach a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis, the source added. […]]]> 657115 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-un-food-agency-decides-to-suspend-malnutrition-prevention-program-in-yemen/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 13:22:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657094 The UN World Food Program (WFP) has decided to suspend its malnutrition prevention program in Yemen in August, citing "critical funding shortfalls" as a major reason, Anadolu Agency reports. In its latest report on the situation in Yemen, the UN food agency stated that critical funding shortfalls, combined with ongoing supply disruptions, force it to "fully suspend malnutrition prevention activity" as of August. "This will allow WFP to utilise the scarce resources available to cover the requirements of the life-saving moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) treatment programme", it said in its report released in late July. In order to navigate the critical situation in Yemen, according to the report, the limited available funds would be allocated to life-saving treatment programs for […]]]> 657094 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230729-uk-provides-yemen-with-205m-humanitarian-support/ Sat, 29 Jul 2023 09:45:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656395 The UK announced on Friday a $205 million grant to support Yemen's health, nutrition and water sector. This came in a statement published by the British Foreign Office on its Twitter account, reported Anadolu Agency. The Foreign Ministry shared that the UK unveiled a new humanitarian programme to deliver vital healthcare support to vulnerable Yemeni women and children. It added: "The £160 million (about $205 million) four-year programme will deliver primary healthcare, including nutrition, water hygiene and sanitation and sexual and reproductive health services to some of the most vulnerable in Yemen." READ: UK plans to house asylum seekers in tents According to the Foreign Office, the programme: "Will look to reduce deaths and disease among women and children by providing […]]]> 656395 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-yemen-houthis-introduce-gender-segregation-at-sanaa-university/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 15:01:40 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655666 Yemen's Houthi-led government has imposed gender segregation at Sanaa University's Mass Communication College, according to a report yesterday by Saudi outlet Arab News. The policy is part of a "morals campaign in Yemeni regions under the militia's control," the report said. Male students will be required to attend the college on different days of the week to their female peers. The move has been justified by the Sanaa authorities and media as a means to avoid incidents of sexual harassment and to uphold Islamic norms that prohibit women from interacting from men who are not close relatives. "What the university has done is in accordance with the female students' wishes, as they possess modesty, pride and elevated Islamic values," tweeted […]]]> 655666 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-yemen-un-begins-removing-oil-from-decaying-tanker/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 09:43:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654935 The UN has started removing oil from a decaying tanker, the FSO Safer, off the coast of Yemen today, after years of dispute between the country's warring factions on how to tackle the issue and prevent a major oil spill in the Red Sea. In a statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: "The United Nations has begun an operation to defuse what might be the world's largest ticking time bomb." "A complex maritime salvage effort is now underway in the Red Sea off the coast of war-torn Yemen to transfer one million barrels of oil from the decaying FSO Safer to a replacement vessel." The operation commenced at 10:45am local time (0745 GMT), the statement said. At 4:30am this morning engines […]]]> 654935 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230723-yemen-arrests-made-after-un-food-agency-worker-killed/ Sun, 23 Jul 2023 17:09:29 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654650 Yemeni authorities have arrested two suspects yesterday in connection to the murder of a senior UN World Food Program (WFP) official the day before in the southwestern province of Taiz. According to AP, 10 others were also detained for their alleged involvement in the killing of Moayad Hameidi, a Jordanian national and veteran WFP staff member who had recently arrived in the country to head the WFP in the province. He had worked with the WFP for 18 years with previous posts in Sudan, Syria and Iraq. On Friday, Hameidi died shortly after reaching a hospital having been shot by two gunmen on a motorbike in the town of Turbah, the attackers fled the scene. "The loss of our colleague […]]]> 654650 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230721-many-may-die-warns-un-after-end-of-black-sea-grain-deal/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 19:44:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654438 A spike in grain prices since Russia quit a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain "potentially threatens hunger and worse for millions of people," the United Nations' Aid chief told the Security Council on Friday, Reuters reports. "Some will go hungry, some will starve, many may die as a result of these decisions," Martin Griffiths told the 15-member Council, adding that some 362 million people in 69 countries were in need of humanitarian aid. Russia quit the Black Sea grain deal on Monday, saying that demands to improve its own food and fertiliser exports had not been met, and that not enough Ukrainian grain had reached the poorest countries. US wheat futures in Chicago rose over 6 per cent […]]]> 654438 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230718-un-could-start-removing-oil-this-week-from-decaying-yemen-tanker/ Tue, 18 Jul 2023 19:37:06 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=653383 An operation to start removing some 1.1 million barrels of oil from a decaying tanker moored off Yemen's coast could start by the end of the week, the United Nations said on Tuesday, Reuters reports. UN officials have been warning for years that the Red Sea and Yemen's coastline were at risk as the tanker, "Safer", could spill four times as much oil as the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska. UN spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said a vessel to which the oil will be transferred is less than 2 miles (3km) away and "making final preparations to moor next to the "Safer", with ship-to-ship transfer of oil expected at the end of the week." Another vessel is already alongside the […]]]> 653383 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230712-scholz-germany-wont-deliver-eurofighters-to-saudi-arabia-in-near-future/ Wed, 12 Jul 2023 15:33:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651986 Germany will not deliver Eurofighter combat aircraft to Saudi Arabia in the near future, German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said on Wednesday, after a newspaper quoted a government document as linking any such move to an end of the war in Yemen, Reuters reports. Saudi Arabia leads a coalition that has been battling the Iranian-aligned Houthis in Yemen since 2015. The war has killed tens of thousands of people and left millions hungry. "There will be no decision on the delivery of Eurofighter jets to Saudi Arabia any time soon," Scholz told reporters on the second day of a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. A government source told Reuters that Germany would decide the issue during this legislative term, which ends […]]]> 651986 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230711-yemen-govt-threatens-to-close-sanaa-airport-over-houthi-economic-war/ Tue, 11 Jul 2023 14:00:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651427 The internationally-recognised Yemeni government has threatened to shut down Sanaa International Airport, just two months after the first commercial flight departed from the capital in six years. Last month also saw the first commercial flights in seven years to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj. According to Arab News, the Saudi-backed government, headed by the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), has also said it will tighten existing restrictions on ship movements to Hudaydah port, unless the Houthi-led National Salvation Government (NSG) halts its "economic war." Moammar Al-Eryani, Yemen's minister of information, said recent economic measures carried out by the Sanaa authorities exacerbate the country's dire humanitarian crisis and undermine Yemen's peace prospects. Taking to Twitter, Eryani warned that if the Houthis do not cease their military and economic "escalation", the […]]]> 651427 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230710-transfer-of-1-1m-barrels-of-oil-from-decaying-yemen-tanker-to-start-early-next-week-un/ Mon, 10 Jul 2023 19:09:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651276 The UN said, on Monday, that a ship-to-ship transfer of over a million barrels of crude oil from a decaying vessel off the coast of war-torn Yemen will start early next week, a move intended to avert a major oil leak, Anadolu Agency reports. UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, David Gressly, told the Security Council that the Sana'a authorities provided authorisation today for the oil transfer from the "Safer" to the replacement vessel. "The replacement vessel, "Nautica", is preparing to sail from Djibouti. It will moor alongside the "Safer" and should begin taking on the oil by early next week," Gressly said. "Once the transfer starts, it will take about two weeks." "The completion of the ship-to-ship transfer of the […]]]> 651276 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230709-oil-tanker-unloaded-after-running-aground-in-eastern-yemen/ Sun, 09 Jul 2023 15:16:02 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650631 The Yemeni government said Saturday that specialised teams have completed an unloading mission of an oil tanker that ran aground in eastern Yemen, reports Anadolu Agency. The official Saba News Agency said the tanker ran aground last month off the Nishtun port due to heavy winds and wave height. An official told the agency that all of the oil was pumped into fuel storage in Al-Mahrah province in eastern Yemen, and it will be used to reduce the fuel crisis in the province. The province entered a crisis as the tanker, which was carrying 3,500 tons of benzene, was supposed to dock at the port three weeks ago. The Yemeni conflict began in September 2014 when Houthi rebels captured much […]]]> 650631 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230709-yemens-houthi-authorities-ban-swedish-imports-over-quran-burning/ Sun, 09 Jul 2023 14:19:14 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650641 Yemen's Houthi movement, which controls the country's north, has banned Swedish imports in protest against the burning of the Quran in Stockholm, the Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said, reports Reuters. "Yemen is the first Islamic country to ban imports of Swedish goods after its violations and desecration of Muslims' holiest," Al Masirah quoted the Houthi trade minister as saying. The minister described Swedish imports as "limited" but said the decision has a symbolic value and that the ban was the least the Houthis could do. He also called on fellow Islamic countries to follow suit. A man tore up and burned a Quran outside Stockholm's central mosque late last month, on the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Adha holidays. […]]]> 650641 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230706-yemen-al-islah-party-official-assassinated/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 13:53:03 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650190 Two gunmen yesterday assassinated an official of the Yemeni Congregation for Reform Party, known as Al-Islah, in the coastal city of Mokha. Quoting a local source, Anadolu reported that two gunmen on a motorcycle shot and killed Ali Al-Haisi. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the murder. The source, who requested anonymity, added that Al-Haisi was one of the figures within Al-Islah who had played a part in liberating the city from the Houthis in early 2017. Mokha is under the control of the National Resistance Forces led by the Vice-President of Yemen, Tareq Saleh. Since the outbreak of the Yemeni conflict in 2014, dozens of leaders and cadres of Al-Islah have been assassinated, especially in the country's southern governorates. READ: Houthis […]]]> 650190 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230704-russia-rejects-bank-compromise-as-black-sea-grain-expiry-looms/ Tue, 04 Jul 2023 18:01:52 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=649677 Russia, on Tuesday, restated a demand for its state agricultural bank to be reconnected to the global SWIFT payments system and said it would not accept a reported compromise proposal, Reuters reports. With 13 days remaining until expiry of the deal that has allowed Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports despite Russia's invasion, Moscow said there had been no progress on any of its key demands, including the banking issue. The Financial Times reported on Monday that the European Union was considering a proposal to allow Russia's Rosselkhozbank to set up a subsidiary that could connect to SWIFT. But Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, dismissed the idea as "deliberately unworkable", saying it would take many months to set […]]]> 649677 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230703-somalia-refugees-in-yemen-struggle-in-harsh-conditions/ Mon, 03 Jul 2023 12:44:07 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=648983 Somali refugees, who fled the war at home and sought refuge in Yemen, are struggling to survive under very difficult conditions, Anadolu Agency reports. These refugees lack access to clean water, toilets and proper shelter in the Al-Ajlaniya Refugee Camp in Yemen's Hadhramaut Governorate. Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with Al-Shabaab fighting the government and the African Union mission in the country since 2007. The Al-Shabaab and the Daesh terrorist groups continue to threaten the safety of Somalis. READ: Yemeni refugees integrate smoothly into Somali society]]> 648983 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230702-yemen-saudi-arabia-to-form-council-to-run-aden-counter-stc/ Sun, 02 Jul 2023 14:45:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=648905 Saudi Arabia is planning to establish a new administrative body in the southern port city of Aden, the interim capital for the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC). According to a report today by the Sanaa-based Yemen Press Agency, the move is aimed at steering the city away from the influence of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), despite their inclusion in the PLC. The formation of "the Aden Board of Directors" is seen as a similar development to the Hadramaut National Council (HNC), established in Riyadh last month following an earlier convention hosted in the kingdom involving political and tribal leaders from the southern governorate to discuss the issue of self-administration of the oil-rich region. "The new council aims to […]]]> 648905 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230701-houthis-threaten-to-launch-open-war-if-yemen-truce-ends/ Sat, 01 Jul 2023 08:49:14 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=648715 The Ansar Allah Houthi group has threatened to launch an open war on Friday if the existing state of calm in Yemen ends. According to Al-Masirah television channel, speaking on behalf of the Houthis, the Minister of Defence of the group's government Mohamed Al-Atifi warned: "The countries of the coalition (led by Saudi Arabia) confirmed that the truce, according to their request, will not remain in place, and the Yemeni armed forces will take a measured move to restore balance to the region." During his visit to several fronts in the governorates of Taiz and Lahj, Al-Atifi added: "The solution is not in the hands of the coalition, but rather they are forced to have the solution in their hands." […]]]> 648715 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230628-turkish-red-crescent-distributes-meat-to-3000-yemeni-families-on-eid-al-adha/ Wed, 28 Jun 2023 09:53:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=647909 The Turkish Red Crescent on Wednesday began distributing meat to 3,000 families in four Yemeni provinces on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, reports Anadolu Agency. The head of the Turkish Red Crescent branch in Yemen, Ibrahim Obaid, told Anadolu that the meat distribution is taking place in Aden, Abyan, Lahij and Dhali. "The distribution process, which continues until the third day of Eid, includes the poorest families, people with special needs, orphans, displaced people, and women," Obaid said. The Muslim holiday commemorates the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim, or Abraham, to sacrifice his son at God's command, before the last-minute divine substitute of a ram. During the holiday, sacrificed meat is distributed to the needy. […]]]> 647909 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230627-yemenis-thankful-to-turkiye-for-the-support-in-troubled-times/ Tue, 27 Jun 2023 16:58:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=647889 Yemeni people, on Tuesday, expressed their gratitude toward Turkiye after suffering from the ongoing civil war and drought in their country, Anadolu Agency reports. Turkiye has been providing unwavering support and refusing to leave Yemenis behind during this challenging period. Civil society organisations in Turkiye have been assisting people in Yemen for several years. The organisations will continue supporting those in need in Yemen during the Eid Al-Adha holiday. In an interview with Anadolu, the Yemenis expressed their gratitude to Turkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for not abandoning them and providing humanitarian aid to the country. Saide Um Abdulhamid, a resident of Marib city, expressed her gratitude to Turkiye and Erdogan. READ: Blockade in Yemen hits rural livestock trade, deepening […]]]> 647889 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230626-saudi-launches-320m-developmental-projects-in-yemens-hadramout/ Mon, 26 Jun 2023 09:04:12 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=647242 Saudi Arabia has launched development projects worth 1.2 billion Saudi riyals ($320 million) in Yemen's Hadramout region, a Yemeni official announced yesterday, Anadolu news agency reported. The Undersecretary of the Yemeni Ministry of Information, Muhammad Gezan, said: "The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen has launched a package of development and vital projects and programs in Hadramout, with a value exceeding 1.2 billion Saudi riyals ($320 million)." Gezan thanked the kingdom and those in charge of the programme, including Saudi Ambassador to Yemen, Muhammad Al Jaber. READ: UN issues flood warning for Yemen Accompanied by a Saudi delegation, the head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, arrived in Hadramout on Saturday, for the first time since taking office in April […]]]> 647242 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230625-saudi-arabia-executes-2-yemenis-for-terrorism-offenses/ Sun, 25 Jun 2023 12:29:10 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=647135 Saudi Arabia has executed two Yemeni nationals over terrorism charges, according to the country's interior ministry, Anadolu reports. A ministry statement said the pair – Abdulrahman Fares Amer al-Marri and Mohammed Salah Omar al-Marri – were convicted of "joining, supporting and pledging allegiance to a terror group." It, however, didn't specify the terrorist group they had joined or formed inside the kingdom. According to the statement, Abdulrahman planned to kill Saudi security officials, while his accomplice was found guilty of attempting to plant an explosive device to target military vehicles. There was no comment from the Yemeni authorities on the verdict. Last month, the Saudi authorities executed two Bahraini nationals over terrorism charges. READ: Saudi Arabia executes 3 men over […]]]> 647135 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230622-blockade-in-yemen-hits-rural-livestock-trade-deepening-economic-crisis/ Thu, 22 Jun 2023 15:57:30 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646658 The ongoing blockade due to conflict in Yemen is causing a significant financial loss to rural farmers who are unable to sell their livestock due to restricted market access, Anadolu Agency reports. The protracted conflict in Yemen, now in its ninth year, has brought about severe consequences for the nation's economy, leaving rural farmers unable to sell their livestock due to the blockade. As the country experiences economic collapse, coupled with fluctuations in prices and the devaluation of the local currency, the cost of meat has soared to alarming levels. Roadside landmines planted by the Houthis have blocked routes to the cities, hindering Yemenis from selling their livestock. READ: UN: Malnutrition risk for half a million Yemen children The combination […]]]> 646658 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230622-un-issues-flood-warning-for-yemen/ Thu, 22 Jun 2023 10:10:20 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646580 The UN issued a flood warning for Yemen yesterday, in advance of heavy rain forecast for next week, Anadolu has reported. The warning came from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. Thousands of Yemenis are at risk, said the FAO, with around 5,800 people living in threatened areas in eleven Yemeni governorates. These were named as Sanaa, Al-Mahweet, Saada, Dhamar and Ibb in the north; Hajjah, Al-Hodeidah and Rimah in the west; and Lahj, Al-Dhalea, and Abyan in the south. The UN organisation pointed out that heavy rains fell last week and affected most regions of western and southern Yemen, especially Abyan Governorate in the south. Around 80 families were affected directly by floodwater, and there is a significant shortage […]]]> 646580 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230621-iran-foreign-minister-holds-talks-with-houthi-leader-in-oman/ Wed, 21 Jun 2023 12:55:28 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646398 Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abollahian, held talks with chief Houthi negotiator, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, in the Omani capital, Muscat, Anadolu Agency reports. Talks between the two sides covered the latest developments in war-torn Yemen, Iran's state news agency, IRNA, reported. The Houthi-run Al-Masirah television said the meeting was held at the Iranian Embassy in Muscat late Tuesday. It, however, did not provide any details about the content of the talks. Iran is a main backer of Yemen's Houthi group, which over-ran much of Yemen, including the capital, Sana'a, in 2014. Amir-Abollahian is currently visiting Oman as part of a Gulf tour that already took him to Qatar, where he held talks with Qatari officials. Yemen has begun to witness a state […]]]> 646398 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230620-yemen-houthi-delegation-leaves-to-perform-pilgrimage-in-saudi-arabia/ Tue, 20 Jun 2023 12:02:24 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645967 A delegation from the Houthi movement has left Sana'a to perform the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, for the first time since the start of the war in Yemen, the Houthi-linked Saba news agency has reported. "The delegation includes the Deputy Minister of Guidance and Hajj and Umrah Affairs, Allama Fouad Naji, and the Undersecretary of the Hajj and Umrah Sector at the Ministry of Guidance, Abdul Rahman Al-Nami," said Saba, "as well as a number of scholars and social and tribal figures." This is the first time that leaders of the Houthis have left to perform Hajj since the start of the war in Yemen in 2014, according to Anadolu. There has been no immediate Saudi comment on the […]]]> 645967 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230618-first-flight-from-sanaa-to-saudi-arabia-in-7-years-carries-yemeni-pilgrims/ Sun, 18 Jun 2023 08:21:24 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645338 A plane left the Houthi-run Sanaa airport in Yemen on Saturday headed toward Saudi Arabia carrying Yemeni pilgrims, marking the first flight between the two countries in seven years. A source at the airport told Anadolu that a flight from Yemen Airways took off for the coastal city of Jeddah. The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said Thursday that it will facilitate the arrival of Yemeni pilgrims via the Sanaa airport. OPINION: Bin Salman has 'weaponised' Hajj to the detriment of all Muslims Since 2016, the coalition imposed a blockade on the Sanaa airport as part of its campaign against the Houthi group. The airport, however, started to operate flights in 2022 toward the Jordanian capital of Amman. Yemen […]]]> 645338 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230617-palestine-islamic-jihad-envoy-to-yemen-meets-houthi-leaders/ Sat, 17 Jun 2023 10:45:18 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645277 Representative of the Islamic Jihad in Palestine (IJP) Ahmed Baraka met on Friday with Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, leader of the Shia militia controlling Yemen, and thanked Yemenis for their support of the Palestinian cause, Yemeni news agencies reported. A spokesperson for the Houthis conveyed: "The Houthi leader reiterated the steadfast Yemeni support for the Palestinian people in their battle against the Israeli occupation." The spokesperson confirmed that Al-Houthi hailed the: "Heroic role of the IJP along with the other Palestinian resistance factions as they faced off the Israeli offensive on Gaza last month." He stressed that the Yemeni people: "Have been and will always be ready to offer all forms of support for the Palestinian people and the Palestinian resistance factions." […]]]> 645277 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230615-saudi-arabia-foreign-minister-will-visit-iran-on-saturday-tasnim/ Thu, 15 Jun 2023 14:59:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645006 Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, will visit Tehran on Saturday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said on Thursday, Reuters reports. He is set to meet with Iranian officials, Tasnim said. Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed in March, in a deal brokered by China, to end a diplomatic rift and re-establish relations, following years of hostility that had endangered regional stability including in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. Iran officially re-opened its Embassy in Saudi Arabia on 7 June. READ: Is Saudi Arabia foreign policy finally emerging out of the American mantle?]]> 645006 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230613-migrant-deaths-on-middle-east-north-africa-routes-highest-since-2017-iom/ Tue, 13 Jun 2023 16:50:33 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=644556 Nearly 3,800 people died on migration routes within and from the Middle East and North Africa last year, the highest number recorded there since 2017, according to data published on Tuesday by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Reuters reports. The United Nations migration agency's Missing Migrants Project (MMP) recorded 3,789 deaths in 2022 along sea and land routes in the region, including crossings of the Sahara Desert and Mediterranean Sea. It said the recorded death toll – which was 11 per cent higher than that recorded in 2021 and the highest since 4,255 documented six years ago – was likely much higher in reality due to scarce official data and limited access to migration routes for civil society and international organisations. READ: FACTBOX – What […]]]> 644556 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230612-insurance-secured-for-decaying-yemen-tanker-before-oil-transfer/ Mon, 12 Jun 2023 17:02:02 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=644183 Insurance cover has been finalised for a decaying tanker moored off Yemen's coast as part of the preparations for a complex oil transfer from the ship, people involved said on Monday. UN officials have been warning for years that the Red Sea and Yemen's coastline were at risk as the "Safer" tanker could spill four times as much oil as the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska, Reuters reports. Built in 1976, the tanker is anchored nearly five nautical miles off Yemen's coast and holds about 1.14 million barrels of light crude oil which has been stuck on board for years, unable to be offloaded in wartime Yemen, officials said. Inspections were taking place before the oil transfer begins and […]]]> 644183 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230610-sanuna-jambari/ Sat, 10 Jun 2023 09:45:30 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=642714 Seafood is definitely a polarising food, you either love it or hate it. I personally love it and am always looking for new seafood recipes. The best part about seafood is that it cooks really quickly, making it the perfect mid-week protein, and just a few ingredients make something absolutely delicious. I was really excited when I found this Yemeni dish, known as sanunat jambari, meaning shrimp stew. It is so easy to make and really flavourful. I like that the ingredients are generally things we already have at home, and really the only thing needed is the shrimp. You could use fresh or frozen shrimp for this dish, they both taste great, you'd just need to cook the frozen […]]]> 642714 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230608-tensions-in-us-saudi-ties-cloud-blinken-visit-to-riyadh/ Thu, 08 Jun 2023 14:00:28 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=643460 A visit by the US Secretary of State to Saudi Arabia drew little Saudi media coverage on Thursday, at a time of soured relations despite a US push to defuse rows that have touched on oil prices, human rights and Riyadh's opening to Iran, Reuters reports. Antony Blinken was the second top US official to visit Washington's closest strategic ally in the Middle East in less than a month, following a 7 May trip by White House National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan. However, Blinken's meetings with Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, the Kingdom's de facto ruler, and Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers were relegated to the inside pages of Al-Watan and Okaz, the two major newspapers in Saudi Arabia. Their front pages […]]]> 643460 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230607-timeline-saudi-iran-ties-a-history-of-ups-and-downs/ Wed, 07 Jun 2023 06:30:50 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=642957 Iran reopened its embassy in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, on Tuesday, Saudi media reported, months after the two regional rivals agreed to end years of antagonism under a Chinese-brokered deal. Protracted rivalry between the Middle East's leading Shia and Sunni Muslim-led powers has fuelled conflicts across the region, including wars in Yemen and Syria. China's role in the diplomatic breakthrough has shaken up dynamics in the Middle East, where the United States was, for decades, the main mediator, flexing its security and diplomatic muscles. 1979 – Iranian Revolution  Saudi rulers watch aghast as Iran's Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, a fellow dynast, is toppled by Shia Muslim clerics, seen in Riyadh as determined to export their Islamic Revolution. READ: Iran unveils first alleged […]]]> 642957 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230606-iran-hard-line-rulers-see-missile-systems-as-vital-deterrent/ Tue, 06 Jun 2023 22:00:42 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=642874 Iran presented what officials described as its first domestically-made hypersonic ballistic missile on Tuesday, the official IRNA news agency reported, an announcement likely to heighten Western concerns about Tehran's missile capabilities. Here are some facts about Iran's missile programme, which is one of the biggest in the Middle East. Military clout  Hypersonic missiles can fly at least five times faster than the speed of sound and on a complex trajectory, which makes them difficult to intercept. Iran says its ballistic missiles, with a range of up to 2,000 km (1,200 miles), are an important deterrent and retaliatory force against the United States, Israel and other potential regional targets. It denies seeking nuclear weapons. Despite US and European opposition, the Islamic Republic has […]]]> 642874 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230604-yemens-cyclist-community-come-together-on-world-cycling-day/ Sun, 04 Jun 2023 10:48:55 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=642434 WATCH: Street brawl between Lebanese and Iraqis in Brazil]]> 642434 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230602-yemens-houthis-threaten-to-attack-saudi-ports-if-talks-fail/ Fri, 02 Jun 2023 07:41:52 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=641988 Yemen's Houthi group yesterday threatened to return to military escalation and resume attacks on economic facilities in Saudi Arabia, in response to Riyadh's failure to settle the humanitarian issue in the negotiations between the two parties, Russian news agency Sputnik reported on its Arabic website. The Iran-backed Yemeni group's TV station, Al-Masirah TV, cited Lieutenant General Jalal Al-Ruwaishan, deputy head of the National Salvation Government, as saying, "There is no Saudi response until now for settling the humanitarian issue after [the month of] Ramadan's negotiations." "Our assessment is that they are buying time," he added. "As they stand, the ongoing negotiations with the Saudi side, mediated by Oman, continue to be attempts to achieve peace, which were positively met by Sanaa." The Houthi official […]]]> 641988 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230601-italy-lifts-arms-embargo-from-saudi-arabia-amid-yemen-peace-efforts/ Thu, 01 Jun 2023 19:20:20 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=641968 Italy has lifted its embargo on arms sales to Saudi Arabia after years of restriction, amid the recent peace initiatives to resolve the conflict in Yemen. Over the course of the years 2019 to 2021, Italy and other Western states restricted arms sales to Saudi Arabia through embargoes imposed on defence trade with the Kingdom, in efforts to prevent the arms' use in the 12-year-long conflict in Yemen, where Riyadh had launched an extended military campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group. In a statement yesterday following a cabinet meeting, however, the Italian government announced that the embargo was no longer necessary "in light of the changed situation" on the ground. It praised Saudi Arabia's recent mediation efforts and talks […]]]> 641968 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230531-yemens-hadramout-heats-up-as-stc-strengthens-secession-bid/ Wed, 31 May 2023 12:35:23 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=641146 With the US-backed, Saudi-led coalition's war against Yemen now in its eighth year, the country remains divided among three main competing authorities. These include the "internationally-recognised" Yemeni government, which is represented by the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC). Another authority is the de-facto National Salvation Government (NSG) led by Ansarallah ("the Houthis"), based in the capital city of Sanaa. In power, since it was formed in 2016, the NSG is recognised only by Iran and its allies, despite governing approximately 80 per cent of Yemen's population. The third faction is the Southern Transitional Council (STC), supported by the UAE. Founded in 2017, the STC is a formidable secessionist party with an affiliated militia that controls significant territory in southern Yemen. […]]]> 641146 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230530-un-to-start-operation-to-offload-decaying-oil-tanker-off-yemen/ Tue, 30 May 2023 20:30:23 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=641106 The United Nations will start the "preparatory phase" this week to offload 1.1 million barrels of oil from a decaying tanker off the coast of war-torn Yemen to prevent a catastrophic spill, according to an official, Anadolu Agency reports. A UN vessel, "Ndeavor", arrived at the port of Hudaydah on Yemen's west coast Tuesday, UN coordinator for Yemen, David Gressly, told reporters in New York via video-conference. Gressly said a UN team will examine the entire vessel and begin to take safety precautions Wednesday. He said the team will initiate the actual transfer of oil in around 210 days to two weeks. "If all goes according to plan, somewhere late June, early July, we might be in a position to […]]]> 641106 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230530-yemens-houthis-congratulate-erdogan-on-election-win/ Tue, 30 May 2023 07:30:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=640559 Yemen's Houthi group yesterday congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on winning the country's presidential election and being re-elected for a new term. In a tweet, Mohammed Abdel Salam, a spokesman for the Houthi group, said: "We congratulate the Muslim Turkish people on the success of the elections and President Erdogan's win of a new presidential term." Erdogan won 52.16 per cent of the vote, as opposed to 47.84 per cent for the opposition candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, in the second round of the Turkish presidential election, giving him a new five-year term. WATCH: Millions in Turkiye celebrate Erdogan's election victory]]> 640559 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230527-un-malnutrition-risk-for-half-a-million-yemen-children/ Sat, 27 May 2023 08:44:10 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=640107 The United Nations (UN) announced on Friday that half a million children in areas controlled by the Yemeni government are at risk of acute malnutrition this year. This came in a joint statement issued by three UN agencies, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP), a copy of which was received by Anadolu Agency. "As acute malnutrition continues to worsen in southern governorates, it is estimated that in 2023, half a million children will be acutely malnourished, including nearly 100,000 children who are likely to be severely malnourished," the statement read. "It is also estimated that up to a quarter million pregnant and lactating women (PLW) […]]]> 640107 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230525-yemen-critical-talks-begin-in-riyadh-on-hadhramaut/ Thu, 25 May 2023 10:39:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=639370 Delegations of the leaders of Hadhramaut governorate in Yemen began critical talks in Riyadh on Wednesday in an effort to determine and agree a unified position on the region. Political, tribal, community, military and security leaders are taking part at the invitation of the government of Saudi Arabia. The position of the governorate is important, especially in relation to the actions of the Southern Transitional Council. Participants in the meeting are divided into three axes: politics; security and military; and social and economic. According to the media office of the Governor of Hadhramaut, Mabkhoot Bin Mubarak Bin Madhi, the meetings are being held for the sake of the governorate. He expressed his hope that a complete consensus would be reached […]]]> 639370 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230525-yemen-24-idps-dead-or-injured-in-fires-in-marib-camps-since-start-of-year/ Thu, 25 May 2023 10:26:58 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=639360 Camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Yemen have witnessed 71 fires which have killed six people and injured 18 others since the start of this year, the Executive Unit for IDPs Camps Management in the north east of the country has reported. Fires are not an unknown occurrence in the camps. Marib governorate accommodates the most Yemenis displaced within their country since the beginning of the war in 2015. The number of IDPs there exceeds two million, some of whom live in 197 camps across the governorate holding more than 55,000 families. The camps lack many of the basic facilities. The residents face extreme cold in winter and extreme heat in summer. There is only limited access to adequate […]]]> 639360 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230525-resuming-relations-with-iran-will-be-a-test-for-egypt-sovereignty/ Thu, 25 May 2023 08:00:21 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=639307 The latest diplomatic developments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are looking positive for peace and prosperity. Iran and Saudi Arabia have re-established relations as part of a Chinese-brokered agreement, Syria has returned to the Arab League and also resumed ties with Riyadh, while the Kingdom has also informally acknowledged the legitimacy of the de-facto (Houthi-led) Yemeni government based in Sana'a through holding direct peace talks there. Amid the easing of tensions between the two regional rivals, there have been reports that Iran is also looking to improve relations with Egypt and that Iraq and Oman have been facilitating talks between the two countries. This is significant as, while both Sana'a and Damascus are closely aligned with […]]]> 639307 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230524-yemen-accuses-houthis-of-preparing-to-launch-military-attacks/ Wed, 24 May 2023 10:52:16 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=639200 Member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Othman Majali, yesterday accused the Houthis of carrying out "aggressive military moves, in preparation for launching attacks inside and outside the country." This came during his meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with the US Ambassador to Yemen, Steven Fagin, to discuss Washington's efforts to bring peace to the Arab country, according to the official Yemeni news agency Saba. During the meeting, Majali said: "The information indicates aggressive military moves by the Houthi militia in preparation for war, which undermines the chances of peace." "The Houthi militia is working to transfer large quantities of heavy weapons between the fronts, recruiting children in summer camps, working at a high pace to dig camouflaged trenches, […]]]> 639200 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230521-yemens-houthi-govt-enters-oil-exploration-deal-with-china/ Sun, 21 May 2023 14:13:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=638163 Yemen's de facto, Houthi-led government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China's Anton Oilfield Services Group (AntonOil) and a representative of the Chinese government to invest in oil exploration in the country. According a report by the Sanaa-based Saba News agency yesterday, the MoU comes after many negotiations and coordination with several foreign companies to convince them to invest in the war-torn country's underdeveloped oil sector. The Sanaa government's Ministry of Oil and Minerals who inked the agreement also warned foreign companies against dealing with the Saudi-initiated Presidential Leadership Council, which currently represents the internationally-recognised Yemen government. Oil and Minerals minister, Ahmed Dares called on foreign firms to visit Yemen to see the potential, investment opportunities, advantages and […]]]> 638163 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230518-qatar-takes-diplomatic-back-seat-as-saudi-flexes-political-muscle/ Thu, 18 May 2023 21:00:16 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=637843 The Arab League's welcoming back of Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad into its ranks highlights how far behind Qatar has fallen in its bid to be a diplomatic voice that carries weight in the Middle East. Earlier this month, Qatar reluctantly withdrew its opposition to Saudi Arabia's initiative to re-admit Syria. It made clear it opposed normalising its own ties with Damascus, but said it would not stand in the way of an Arab consensus. The dismay in the diplomatic mission in Doha of a Syrian opposition group, which Qatar recognises as Syria's official embassy to the state, was a stark reminder of the shifting tides. "Qatar did not accept this decision, but they did not stand in the way," Belal Tourkya, […]]]> 637843