The Houthis continue to invest in the humanitarian crisis in Yemen through their involvement in smuggling under the cover of the World Food Program. A ship carrying thousands of tons of oil derivatives has recently entered the port of Hodeidah, in which they claim these oil derivatives are intended for humanitarian relief, and it is later found that this ship is the same ship that claimed to be a commercial vessel.

About 50 days after the clarification demand, WFP sent two days ago a message that the diesel shipment was for relief sent on board a commercial vessel to operate wheat mills for relief, while the Economic Commission confirmed that the amount of diesel on board the commercial ship was sufficient to operate the areas that have not been liberated for at least 10 days and not for the operation of mills grind a few tons of wheat for relief.

On the details of the vessel carrying the oil derivatives, Dr. Fares al-Ja'dabi, member of the Economic Committee, head of the Technical Office, said: "The committee was surprised to enter and unload the ship's cargo in the port of Hodeidah. Later on, we were informed that it was able to enter to the port after sending an official e-mail from the United Nations World Food Program to the evacuation cell and the joint forces, stating that this ship belongs to them and demand entry because it carries oil derivatives for relief.

"Because the World Food Organization (WFP) at the United Nations is doing humanitarian work, the evacuation cell and the joint forces have given this ship permission to enter the port, as they give relief vessels priority access to the port," he told Saudi daily Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.

Al-Ja'dabi pointed out that "after the entry of this ship to the port of Hodeidah and unloading its cargo, we have verified that it is the commercial ship that we were prevented from entering due to its incomplete papers and unclear source, and it is one of the two suspected commercial ships, and the Houthis resorted to entering this ship to the traders of oil derivatives to be entered later on without any permission at the beginning of last May of this year."

He added, "When we refused to grant permission, an official e-mail was sent by the World Food Program to the evacuation cell and the joint forces, stating that the shipment on the board of the ship is a relief shipment affiliated to them, which did not mention at the beginning of the Commission's request the special papers to clarify the source of this shipment and was given the permission of entry," he said.

The head of the Committee said that the World Food Program had sent its response the day before yesterday based on the request of the Committee to clarify what had happened, noting that part of the diesel material carried by the ship is used to grind some grain for relief work, but the fact is that the ship carried at least 24 thousand tons of diesel, and therefore the response of the World Food Program for this incident was unconvincing, pointing out that the World Food Program confirmed in its response to its commitment all the decisions and controls of the government in the future.