Houthi militia hold 16 cargo ships in Yemeni ports

JEDDAH: Sixteen ships carrying food and oil products are being held by Houthi militias in the Yemeni ports of Hodeidah and Salif, according to the Isnad Center for Comprehensive Humanitarian Operations in Yemen. Some of them have been held for more than a month, which might have damaged their cargo of wheat and flour, it added.
The center said that five ships carrying medicines, medical equipment, sugar and liquefied gas have been detained inside the port of Hodeidah, while eight ships carrying maize, soybeans, wheat, flour and liquefied gas are being held in the port’s Al-Mikhtaf area. A further three ships are detained inside the port of Salif, two of which were prevented from unloading their cargo of corn, wheat and soybeans.
The center added that there are 134 migrants and 293 sailors of Asian, European and African nationalities on the ships. The total tonnage of the captured vessels is 198,860.88 tons, and they are carrying 116,880 tons of wheat, corn, sugar and soybeans, 79,722 tons of medicine and medical equipment, and 119,022 tons of liquefied gas. The ships bear the flags of nine nations: Djibouti, Sierra Leone, Malta, Comoros, the Marshall Islands, Pelhams, Panama, Nigeria and Palau.