The Yemeni Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs said in a statement published by the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) today, “The piracy operation by the Houthi militia represents a serious violation of international security and stability, and the security and safety of global navigation, and a disregard for all principles of international humanitarian law, particularly the San Remo Guide on International Law in and Armed Conflicts at Sea and United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also questioned the hijacking, stating that the UAE-flagged ship was carrying medical equipment, although the Houthis claimed it was carrying war material.

The Houthi militia’s spokesman Mohamed Abdelsalam posted on Twitter that this action was conducted in retaliation for continuing attacks by the Arab coalition, led by Saudi Arabia.

According to the SPA news agency, the ship was heading to Jizan port, from the Yemeni island of Socotra, in the Red Sea.

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