Yemen: Hodeida port and Sana'a airport to reopen November 23 /update 2

Event

On Wednesday, November 22, the Saudi-led coalition declared via the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that the Hodeida port and Sana'a International Airport (SAH) will be reopened to receive humanitarian aid at 12:00 (local time) on Thursday, November 23. The coalition announcement follows a statement made Tuesday by the Houthi-led government in Sana'a, claiming that damages caused by a November 14 airstrike at SAH had been repaired, and that the airport is once again able to receive international flights. According to the Houthi sources, the November 14 airstrike - carried out by Saudi-led coalition forces - damaged the runway and navigation tower, and destroyed navigation equipment, thereby incapacitating the airport. It is unclear when the ongoing Saudi blockade on Yemeni land, sea, and air ports will be fully lifted; the coalition previously said that Yemeni ports would remain closed until security assurances were in place to prevent Houthi rebel fighters from receiving weapons.

Context

The Saudi-led coalition bombed SAH on November 14 in a bid to weaken rebel control of the city. According to the UN, the majority of the airport remained intact following the bombing and was able to receive aid shipments. However, rebel groups contradicted the UN claim, citing damages to the runway and navigation tower.

Meanwhile, despite a November 13 statement indicating that the coalition would soon lift its comprehensive blockade (put in place on November 6) on Yemen, the majority of the country's ports of entry remain closed as of November 22.

Yemen has been engaged in a complex and deadly conflict since Houthi rebels started fighting the international coalition-backed government in 2015. In total, approximately 10,000 Yemenis have died in the fighting and around 3 million have been displaced. The war has also sparked a cholera outbreak, which has affected over 925,000 people to date. Approximately 20.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and the crisis has placed an overwhelming strain on the country's struggling health system. Major health facilities have been destroyed in the conflict and aid deliveries are often blocked by rebels, stolen, or destroyed. Yemen is also affected by widespread famine. Approximately 17 million people - two-thirds of the population of Yemen - are food insecure, according to the World Food Program. Human rights organization CARE reports that roughly two-thirds of the population is without regular access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

Advice

The security environment throughout the country remains complex. Due to poor security conditions, many Western governments strongly advise their citizens against all travel to Yemen. Travel to the country should only be considered with proper security protocols in place, and professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel.