Aden (Al-Ittihad)
The Yemeni government confirmed that the Houthi group's attack on a ship carrying humanitarian aid while sailing from Argentina to the port of Aden is a dangerous escalation, with disastrous repercussions on the prices of food and consumer goods, and exacerbating the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, for which innocent civilians will pay the price.
US Central Command reported yesterday that the Houthis in Yemen fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles at the ship “Sea Champion” on February 19 while it was sailing to the port of Aden.
Central Command said in a statement that one of the two missiles exploded near the ship linked to humanitarian aid, causing minor damage to it.
The ship is a US-owned bulk carrier flying the Greek flag.
Sources at the Greek Ministry of Shipping said that “Sea Champion” was transporting a shipment of grain from Argentina to Aden, and was subjected to two attacks, which led to minor damage, but no injuries among the crew members.
The latest data from the ship tracking company Marine Traffic showed that the Sea Champion ship was docked in the port of Aden.
Meanwhile, the British Maritime Trade Operations Authority said yesterday that it had received a report of increased drone activity 40 nautical miles west of the Yemeni city of Hodeidah.
Yemeni Minister of Information Muammar Al-Eryani said that the Houthi group’s attack on the “Sea Champion” ship while it was sailing from Argentina to the port of Aden, with 40,000 tons of grain on board, with two ballistic missiles, is a dangerous escalation in the course of attacks on commercial ships and oil tankers, and a direct targeting of imports. Of food and humanitarian aid provided to Yemen.
Al-Eryani explained that the “Sea Champion” ship, while being targeted, was on its way to unload part of its cargo, amounting to about 9,229 tons of corn, in the port of Aden, before heading to the port of Hodeidah to unload the remaining cargo, amounting to 31,000 tons, adding that this is not the first time it has sailed. The ship is heading to Yemeni ports, where it has previously delivered humanitarian aid to Yemen 11 times during the past five years.
Al-Eryani pointed out that this terrorist attack comes in light of the repercussions resulting from the ongoing Houthi attacks on international shipping lines since last November, from the high cost of insurance and maritime freight for ships arriving at Yemeni ports, and its catastrophic repercussions on the prices of food and consumer goods and the economic situation, and the exacerbation of the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. As a result of the conditions of war and coup, for which innocent civilians will pay the price.
Al-Eryani called on the international partners, led by the European Union and Britain, to work on a coordinated response to confront the activities of the Houthi group, dry up its financial, political and media sources, and move in a parallel path by devoting efforts to provide real support to the Presidential Command Council and the legitimate government in the “political, economic and military” aspects to restore the state and impose… Its control over the entire Yemeni territory.
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