DUBAI, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) accused the Shiite Houthis of blocking humanitarian aid to civilians in Yemen, urging the Houthis to leave Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, said Anwar Gargash, UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs on Thursday.
"The Houthis are blocking the off-loading of aid at Hodeidah port, destroying water and sewage systems, indiscriminately placing mines, IEDs (improvised explosive devices), snipers and heavy weaponry amongst residential areas," said the foreign minister on Twitter.
"The full, peaceful and unconditional withdrawal of the Houthi militias from the city and port of Hodeidah is the only route to avert worsening the situation in and around the city," said Gargash.
Despite the achievement the Saudi-led coalition has made in recent weeks, the UAE's official reiterated that the alliance will not change its strategic goals. "We will continue to exert military pressure and respect the fragile humanitarian conditions. The liberation of Hodeidah will accelerate the peaceful settlement for Yemen and the Yemeni people."
Hodeidah is the lifeline route for importing and transporting humanitarian aid to northern Yemen.
The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen's civil war in March 2015.
