Wheat Ship Barred from Entering Yemen Port

Warships from the Saudi-led coalition have blocked a vessel carrying more than 47,000 tonnes of wheat from entering a Yemeni port, demanding United Nations guarantees that the cargo would not go to military personnel, shipping sources said on Thursday.

 

Ocean Marine Services, which acts as the Yemen-based agent for the ship, said in a letter to the director of the Yemeni Red Sea Ports Authority, that the Lycavitos, carrying 47,250 tonnes of wheat, had been stopped from entering al-Saleef port, north of Hodeidah on Wednesday night, on the grounds that all Yemeni ports were off limits to shipping.

 

"As official bodies, we appeal to you to communicate with whoever may be in charge to find a quick solution to the problem, as the wheat commodity is a nutritional and strategic commodity important for the livelihood of the (Yemeni) people," the Ocean Marine Services letter said.

 

Officials from the Saudi-led coalition could not immediately be reached for a comment.

 

UK-based Helikon Shipping Enterprises Ltd, which acts as owner's agent for the Lycavitos, said the ship had been loaded with wheat from the west coast of the United States intended for discharge at Saleef and Hodeida ports.

 

"It is currently drifting outside Yemeni waters awaiting further instructions from the coalition forces regards permission to proceed into Saleef or from charterers in case they decide to find an alternative safe port for discharge," Helikon Shipping Enterprises said in a statement to Reuters.

 

A Yemeni marine source said officials from the Saudi-led coalition had informed the captain that the Lycavitos would only be allowed to unload its cargo if the United Nations provided guarantees that the wheat would go to Yemeni civilians only.

 

The source said officials from the United Nations had been contacted and were preparing to provide the guarantees.

 

Helikon said there were three to four other vessels in the vicinity of Lycavitos that were currently unable to enter Yemeni waters. Ship tracking data on Reuters showed two vessels currently anchored off Yemen listed as being not under command by a captain. A separate ship carrying wheat took days to reach Yemen due to the coalition naval presence.

 

Food imports into the Arab world's poorest country began grinding to a halt a week after the Saudi-led coalition began its operations in Yemen, putting the fragile supply chains under growing strain and commercial suppliers stay away.

 

Saudi-led forces have been bombing positions by the Iranian-allied Shi'ite Muslim Houthi groups and forces loyal to its ally, former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, trying to stop them from completing their takeover of the country.