Local Editor
The United States Department of Defense (the Pentagon) has said that it is not involved in the military offensive carried out by the Saudi-Emirati alliance against the Houthi Ansarullah forces in the Yemeni port city of Hodeida.
Speaking on Thursday, spokesman Major Adrian Galloway said Washington "does not command, accompany, or participate in counter-Houthi operations or any hostilities other than those authorized against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS," referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).
"Our support to the coalition consists of aerial refueling to coalition aircraft and intelligence," Galloway continued.
He also said that US military support to its allies "is always geared towards mitigating noncombatant casualties."
He stressed the importance of the port in delivering aid to alleviate the suffering of Yemenis, adding that the US supports the efforts of the UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffith to bring the Yemeni parties to the negotiating table.
Before the Saudi coalition against Yemen began in March 2015, Hodeida port used to funnel in at least 80 percent of Yemen's imports, mostly food.
Now, two-thirds of Yemen's population of 28 million is dependent on aid to survive, and 8 million of those are food insecure.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
