In meetings with senior United Nations officials and members of the UN Security Council today, Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation of United Arab Emirates, reaffirmed the UAE's and the Arab Coalition's strong support for the efforts of Special Envoy Martin Griffiths to reach a political solution in Yemen. The Minister also discussed the comprehensive efforts underway, in close cooperation with the UN and non-government agencies, to provide humanitarian assistance into Hodeidah and other areas of Yemen. "We welcome the Special Envoy's efforts to facilitate the Houthis' peaceful handover of Hodeidah to the legitimate government of Yemen, consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2216," said Minister Al Hashemy. "We share the concerns of the international community about the Houthis' laying of mines and the positioning of snipers and heavy weapons in residential areas of Hodeidah, activities which show their total disregard for their obligations under International Humanitarian Law, and their perception of the humanitarian situation as a political bargaining chip." The UAE Minister met with Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme; Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; and Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund; as well as with the members of the UN Security Council. The UAE's humanitarian assistance to Yemen is close to US$4 billion over the past three years, part of the Arab Coalition's overall support of $15 billion for the country since 2015. In March 2018, the UAE contributed $465 million in unrestricted funds to the UN for the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan.
