News - Yemen: The Undersecretary of Civil Aviation and Meteorology, Raed Jabal, confirmed that Sana'a International Airport is currently operating for the United Nations only, indicating that it has been transformed from an airport serving Yemenis to an airport serving the UN.

"The office of UN envoy operates three to five flights per day through Sana'a Airport to transport its staff, while only three flights per week are operated for millions of Yemenis in need of travel," Jabal said.

"Since the truce was signed about a year ago, only 124 flights were operated from Sana'a Airport, and it was expected that much more flights would operate," he added.

He pointed out that the Ministry of Health and other service sectors were greatly affected as a result of the closure of Sana'a International Airport.

On Monday, the Undersecretary of the Civil Aviation and Meteorology, Raed Jabal, affirmed that the aggression has abandoned its humanitarian obligations in opening Sana'a Airport to provide its services to the Yemeni People.

"We are about to pass a year after the truce, and Sana'a International Airport is still closed to civilian flights, with the exception of the three weekly flights to Jordan," Jabal said.

He pointed out that the aggression continues to impose a siege on Sana'a Airport, and refuses to allow it to operate in a manner that meets the actual need.

The Undersecretary of the Civil Aviation stated that the flights operated to Jordan through Sana'a Airport currently represent only one percent compared to what it was before the aggression, and half one percent of the actual need of the Yemeni people.

He also considered that the coalition of aggression, USA, Britain and France, renewed the closure of Yemeni airspace, indicating their intention to continue imposing the siege on the Yemeni people.

Jabal pointed out that the aggression deliberately closes Sana'a International Airport to deprive the Yemeni people of their legitimate right to travel, which was guaranteed by international laws and agreements in light of the silence of the United Nations.

He called on international organizations and relevant authorities in the field of air transport to take a serious and effective stance to compel the aggression coalition to open the airports of the Republic of Yemen.

The US-Saudi aggression imposes a suffocating blockade on Yemen and closes ports and airports to increase the suffering of the Yemeni People and create deteriorating living and economic conditions. It is trying to barter the humanitarian aspect to obtain political and military gains at the expense of the Yemeni People.

The blockade has caused tremendous suffering for millions of Yemenis who are largely dependent on imports of food, fuel and medicines. It is one of the main reasons for the large-scale humanitarian crisis in the country that has pushed millions of Yemenis toward starvation and death due to lack of medical supplies, prompting the UN to call it the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

On 9 August 2016, the Saudi-led coalition imposed restrictions on Yemen’s airspace resulting in the closure of Sana’a Airport to commercial flights, trapping millions of Yemenis in a war zone and preventing the free movement of humanitarian and commercial goods from entering through this route. As a result, thousands of Yemenis with long-term health conditions such as cancer, kidney, liver and blood conditions have died while waiting for treatment unavailable in Yemen.

The closure of the airport has also led to an almost complete halt to commercial cargo such as medicine, medical supplies and equipment coming into the country. Coupled with restrictions on Hodeidah port, this has caused prices of some medicine to double, making it unaffordable for most of the population and further contributing to the decline of Yemen’s health system, already decimated by the aggression.

With the beginning of the truce in last April, the aggression tried to evade its commitment to open Sana'a Airport and make flights only to one destination, Jordan, and for a very limited number.

Sana'a confirmed more than once that the continued closure of Sana'a Airport proves the lack of seriousness of the US-Saudi aggression to bring peace to Yemen.