During a meeting with UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths in Sana'a on Sunday, Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi referred to the UN’s reaction to the Saudi siege, which blocks the entry of food, medicine and petroleum products, criticizing the UN for turning a blind eye to the blackmailing of the Yemenis, according to Al-Masirah.
Houthi emphasized the Yemeni people's right to have access to oil derivatives, medical supplies and foodstuffs, “whatever the circumstances might be”.
“The blockade is a collective punishment and a procedure that violates international decisions and humanitarian norms and contradicts all laws.”
He also decried attempts to link the humanitarian issue to political and military files “as an explicit confiscation” of the basic rights of the Yemeni people, stressing that it is an “unacceptable” equation.
Houthi also urged the UN to take action to provide access to basic needs for the Yemenis, stressing that addressing the humanitarian issue is “the actual entrance to all files”.
He said if the Saudi-led coalition thinks that its siege on Yemen would strengthen its position, “then it is delusional”, noting that the ongoing blockade reveals the kingdom's true intentions and proves that it doesn’t want peace.
Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies -- including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) -- launched a brutal war against Yemen in March 2015.