YEMEN-SECURITY/HOUTHI RALLY Houthi supporters protest in Yemeni capital against the UN

Record ID: 148430

  • Title: YEMEN-SECURITY/HOUTHI RALLY Houthi supporters protest in Yemeni capital against the UN
  • Date: 5th July 2015
  • Summary: SANAA, YEMEN (JULY 5, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS IN THE STREET CHANTING PROTESTERS HOLDING ANTI-U.N. BANNERS A BANNER WITH THE PICTURE OF HOUTHI LEADER, ABDEL MALEK AL-HOUTHI (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNNAMED PROTESTER SAYING: "We came out today to show the world and the United Nations specifically that the decision is in the hands of the people and not in the hands
  • Embargoed: 20th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Yemen
  • Country: Yemen
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA3C24GVT82B5G9FHHC3SKHYYIH
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Hundreds of supporters of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels took to the streets of the Yemeni capital on Sunday (July 5) to protest against the United Nations and its alleged support of Yemen's exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
    The protest took place just as the U.N. special envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed arrived in Sanaa amid intensified efforts to broker a humanitarian truce between the country's warring parties.
    "We came out today to show the world and the United Nations specifically that the decision is in the hands of the people and not in the hands of any one else and that we are not dependent on this small group of traitors of this country, a group that the U.N. and its envoy depends on in their decisions," one protester told Reuters.
    The protesters carried pictures of Houthi leader Abdel Malek al-Houthi and chanted "people want the fall of Riyadh".
    Nearly 3,000 people have been killed since March when a Saudi-led coalition of Sunni Arab leaders launched an air offensive against Houthi rebels that have taken control over much of the country.
    The conflict has plunged the already impoverished country into an all-out humanitarian crisis with millions of people are struggling to secure food, water, medicines and fuel.
    Cheikh Ahmed wants to arrange a pause in fighting until the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, on July 17, to allow for deliveries of humanitarian aid, but Houthi supporters accuse the envoy of giving in too easily to Saudi demands of Houthi withdrawals.
    "We came out today to welcome the U.N. and its special envoy who came to Yemen a few minutes ago and to say to Ould Cheikh (Yemen envoy) that if he can't even protect the Yemeni delegation that went to Geneva, then how can he protect the Yemeni women and children who are being killed daily and living under total siege," said protester Jamal al Hazoura. He was referring to an incident when a shoe was thrown at the Houthi delegation in Geneva.
    U.N.-sponsored peace talks in Geneva last month failed to achieve a ceasefire.
    The United Nations last week designated the war in Yemen as a Level 3 humanitarian crisis, its most severe category.
    On Friday, the United Nations alerted aid groups to be prepared for a possible humanitarian pause in fighting in Yemen that would allow them to deliver help to some of the 21 million people in need.
    The U.N. organised a five-day humanitarian pause in May, but aid groups said the truce was not long enough to cover all the needs of Yemen.
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