UN to discuss arms embargo against Houthi rebels in Yemen

UNITED NATIONS, April 14. /TASS/. The UN Security Council is due to consider on Tuesday a draft resolution on Yemen that envisages the introduction of embargo on weapons supplies to Houthi rebels, a Western diplomat has said. "The vote is scheduled at 10:00 a.m. [1600GMT]. The draft resolution introduced by Jordan will be considered," the diplomat said. The resolution was drafted in coordination with the Persian Gulf countries that launched a military operation against the rebels in late March at the request of the country’s ousted president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. The document is based on VII Chapter of the UN Charter and calls for including Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi and the ex-president's eldest son, Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh on the UN Security Council’s sanctions lists. They are accused of actions undermining "peace, security as stability" of Yemen. Earlier restriction measures, including an asset freeze and travel ban, were imposed on former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, and two rebel group’s leaders Abd al-Khaliq al-Huthi and Abdullah Yahya al Hakim. The Jordanian draft envisages an embargo on supplies of arms, ammunition, military transport vehicles and equipment to the five persons and those acting on their behalf or on their orders in Yemen. If the document is adopted, the UN member-states will be asked to inspect the cargos traveling to Yemen if there are grounds to believe that these cargos contain items banned by the resolution. Russia earlier introduced its draft resolution on Yemen, calling for regular breaks in the air strikes by the coalition to provide aid to the population and evacuate people. The Jordanian draft has no such provision. It urges all the sides in the conflict to stick to their commitments in the framework of the international humanitarian law, including providing security of civilians and assisting humanitarian aid delivery. Read more