The UN Security Council has reiterated its condemnation of attacks on ships near Yemen, emphasizing in a draft statement the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation. The Council condemned the Houthis' detention of the Emirati ship "Rawabi" and demanded the immediate release of the ship and its crew. The UAE representative to the United Nations reported on Monday that the hijacked ship Rawabi was carrying medical aid, indicating it transported equipment for a field hospital in Socotra Island.
The UAE representative noted that the crew of the Rawabi consists of 11 individuals of various nationalities, and called for the ship and its crew to be released without delay. In a message from the UAE government to the Security Council, the representative stated that the hijacking of the "Rawabi" is not the first incident involving the Houthis in the Red Sea, as the Houthi militia has previously intercepted and detained at least three commercial vessels.
She added that the Houthi militia targeted 13 commercial vessels with explosive boats and mines, affirming that the Houthi piracy actions violate international law. The UAE representative also confirmed that Houthi piracy raises genuine concerns regarding freedom of navigation, security, and international trade in the Red Sea.
On January 3, the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced that a cargo ship had been pirated and attacked by the Houthi militia off the coast of Hodeidah, Yemen. The official spokesperson for the Coalition forces, Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki, stated in a statement that the ship was subjected to piracy and hijacking at 11:57 PM on Sunday (January 2, 2022) while sailing off Hodeidah Governorate. He added that the vessel was on a maritime mission from Socotra Island to the port of Jizan, carrying all field equipment necessary for the operation of the Saudi field hospital on the island after the completion of its mission and the establishment of a hospital there.
