Yemen's Houthi rebels have blocked half of the United Nations' aid delivery programs in the war-torn country -- a tactic to force the agency to give them greater control over the humanitarian campaign along with a cut of billions of dollars in foreign assistance, according to aid officials and internal documents obtained by The Associated Press.
The rebels have made access to areas under their control contingent on conditions that aid agencies reject, in part because those conditions would give the Houthis greater sway over who receives aid, documents and interviews show.
The Houthis' obstruction has hindered several programs that feed the near-starving population and help those displaced by the nearly six-year civil war, a senior U.N. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the situation.
"Over 2 million beneficiaries ... are directly affected," the official said.
The Houthis have been pushing back against U.N. efforts to tighten monitoring of about $370 million a year that its agencies already give to government institutions controlled mostly by the rebel group, documents show. That money is supposed to pay salaries and other administrative costs, but more than a third of the money spent last year wasn't audited, according to an internal document leaked to the AP.
The U.N. has largely kept quiet in public about the pressure from the rebel group, but behind the scenes the agency and international donors are digging in against the Houthi demands. The AP spoke to seven workers and officials from U.N. and independent agencies about the situation. All spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. The AP also saw dozens of documents, including emails of aid officials.
In October, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, Lise Grande, sent a letter to the Houthi-appointed prime minister to complain about a long list of demands.
The "overwhelming majority" of the demands impede or delay delivery of aid and many violate humanitarian principles, she said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the AP.
For months, the Houthis demanded that a 2% cut from the entire aid budget be given to them, a condition the U.N. and donors rejected. In an email to the AP, a spokesperson for the U.S. Agency for International Development said Houthi attempts "to implement a tax on humanitarian assistance are unacceptable and directly contradict international humanitarian principles." The United States donated $686 million to Yemen in 2019, according to USAID.
Last week, the Houthis appeared to back off the 2% demand, but they continue to press for other concessions, according to aid officials.
During a meeting in Brussels on Feb. 13, aid agencies and international donors threatened to reduce aid if the Houthis continue to impose restrictions on U.N. operations in Yemen.
The situation "has reached a breaking point," they said in a statement.
At least one agency, the World Food Program, is currently considering cutting back on the monthly food aid it delivers to 12 million Yemenis every other month, a U.N. official said. "It's unfortunate that people will suffer, but this is on the Houthis," the official said. "They can't use people as hostages for too long."
The Houthis have withheld visas and permissions for equipment and supplies and refused to grant clearances for U.N. missions to move through rebel-controlled areas. Aid workers said agency leaders' past willingness to concede to some of the rebels' demands has emboldened the Houthi leaders to push for more.
Houthi leaders have remained defiant in the face of U.N. pushback.
"Yemen will survive" if agencies suspend aid, Abdul-Mohsen Tawoos, secretary-general of the Houthi agency coordinating international aid, told European donors during a Jan. 20 Skype call. Minutes of the call were obtained by the AP.
He said the Houthis wanted to reach an agreement with the U.N. and its donors but "won't be bullied."
Tawoos accused Grande of sending false reports about Houthis restricting the movement of U.N. humanitarian operations. Houthi leaders have threatened to expel her from the country.
The U.N.'s aid program, totaling $8.35 billion dollars since 2015, is vital to keeping many Yemenis alive. The U.N. calls the situation in Yemen the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
A Section on 02/20/2020