Association Maonah for Human Rights and immigration , in partnership with the Geneva Center for Justice, organized a seminar on Monday, October 7, at the United Nations Palace in Geneva, Switzerland, in the presence of experts, human rights activists, and Yemeni government officials. 

 

The symposium was opened by Mr. Guitry Bouyeri, a representative of the League and the Geneva International Center for Justice, with a short speech about the importance of holding this symposium in light of the current situation in Yemen, and that the League and the Center share this important human rights issue, especially after the emergence of the effects of severe climate change in the floods that hit Yemen during the middle of this year, and that the League and the Center have directed several global appeals to provide relief to hundreds of thousands of those affected and have brought the issue to international platforms and sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council through several briefings and meetings with the aim of drawing the attention of the international community to the extent of this humanitarian disaster and supporting those affected by it. During the symposium, the participants were welcomed and given the opportunity to present their briefings. The First Deputy Governor of Hodeidah, Walid Al-Qadimi, said today, during his speech at the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, that Hodeidah is not just a local problem, but rather an embodiment of global crises where humanitarian crises overlap with climate change and armed conflicts. Had it not been for the Stockholm Agreement, which prevented the liberation of Hodeidah Governorate, the terrorist Houthi militias would not have been able to exploit ports and coasts and use them for military purposes that threaten local and international peace and security. 

 

Al-Qadimi called on the international community to assume its responsibility to provide the necessary support to Hodeidah Governorate, open humanitarian corridors, facilitate the delivery of aid, and remove mines planted by the terrorist Houthi militias that pose a threat to the lives of civilians. 

 

Al-Qadimi explained that the local authority in the governorate, under the directives of the Presidential Leadership Council, and in coordination with the Humanitarian Action Cell in the Western Tihama Coast, is working to alleviate the suffering of the population according to the available capabilities, with the cooperation of humanitarian and human rights organizations in implementing humanitarian projects on the ground, to help all those affected. 

 

Stressing that the ports of Hodeidah were a lifeline for Yemenis and the entire world, and today the Houthi group has turned them into military bases for its terrorist militias.

 

He appreciated the role of the sister countries that stand by Yemen in these difficult circumstances, most notably the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the State of Kuwait, and the rest of the donor countries and funds that responded to the distress call launched by the Yemeni government following the recent floods and torrents disaster, and for their continuous and ongoing support in providing humanitarian and relief aid. This support, which includes great efforts that contribute to saving the lives of civilians, and restoring hope and stability to Yemen and its people.

After that, Brother Abdullah Al-Habishi, Executive Director of the Humanitarian Action Cell on the West Coast of Yemen, participated in a briefing in the symposium (via video) in which he explained the role of the cell in addressing the climate impacts in Yemen that occurred in the past period, especially on the following sectors:

- Water and environmental sanitation.

- â? Malnutrition

- Food and agricultural security and livelihoods

- â? â? Shelter and IDP camps

- Livelihoods and relief for those affected

 

Al-Habishi appreciated in his briefing the rapid humanitarian response of the Emirates Red Crescent Society, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and their generous support for the cell and the Yemeni government in order to address the needs of these sectors as well as those affected by the unprecedented torrential floods, especially in the governorates of Hodeidah and Taiz. Al-Habishi also called on the international community to double international support for the cell and humanitarian relief organizations working in Yemen in the fields of climate change to provide relief to those affected and prevent these effects in the future.

 

The human rights activist Mohammed Al-Mahdi gave a briefing at the symposium, focusing on the details of the following points:

- The climate effects in times of war and the double challenges that resulted from the failure of the Houthi militia ruling parts of Yemen to deal responsibly through:

- Its refusal to deal with any efforts that limit the aggravation of the problem

- Criminalizing the work of humanitarian organizations and their arrests that affected dozens of their workers

- Focusing on forgotten governorates such as Al-Mahwit and Hajjah and conveying the talk of some of the affected people

- The role of the armed Houthi militias as a model in planting mines

- Houthi attacks in the Red Sea on oil tankers and their role in aggravating the problem

- The appeals issued by the government and international organizations and the necessity of dealing with them responsibly.

 

At the end of the symposium, videos of the humanitarian interventions implemented by the Humanitarian Action Cell and Al-Hodeidah Governorate were reviewed in providing relief to the victims and those affected by the flood disaster that recently struck Yemen and the challenges they face.

The floor was opened for questions from the attendees and answered, and important recommendations were made for future work to enhance climate justice, provide relief to victims in Yemen, and raise awareness of the risks of climate disasters in the future. 

 

It is worth noting that the symposium was organized by the Association Maonah for Human Rights and immigration , a Yemeni organization with consultative status at the United Nations, in partnership with the Geneva International Center for Justice, which thanked the participants in the symposium for their efforts in conveying this issue to the international community.