Yemen's minister of local administration said Saturday that Iranian-backed Houthi rebels took hold of 10 commercial ships, aid vessels and oil tankers at Al-Hudaydah seaport.
Some of these vessels had been seized six months ago, Abdel-Raqib Fatah, also chairman of the Higher Relief Committee, said in a press release carried by Saudi Arabia's state news agency, SPA.
The Houthi militias blocked the unloading of the cargo, fuel and relief supplies of these vessels, he pointed out.
Distya Pushti, an Indian flag tanker carrying 10,955 tons of diesel fuel and 9,025 tons of petrol, was seized by the Houthis soon after docking at Al-Hudaydah on September 28.
The Togo flag Rina, carrying 5,700 tons of food relief including sugar and flour, arrived on October 3 and was prevented from unloading.
Sincero which arrived on September 26 with 15,025 tons of diesel fuel on board and Carpe Diem II which arrived on September 30 were also seized by the Houthi putschist militias, the minister went on. The seizure of the fuel carrying vessels led to shortage of fuel supplies in Yemen, which was used by the Houthis as a pretext for hiking the prices of oil byproducts by more than 60 percent, he revealed.
He called on the UN Resident Coordinator in Yemen Lise Grande to step in and release the abducted ships immediately with a view to alleviating the suffering of the citizens and resolving the economic crisis.