10 Trillion, 701 billion riyals losses in Yemen’s agricultural sector due to Saudi-led aggression, its imposed blockade

The total direct and indirect losses and damages of Yemen’s agricultural sector caused by the US-Saudi-Emirati aggression coalition since its inception exceeded 10 trillion and 701 billion and 867 million riyals.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, Dr. Radwan Al-Ruba’e, confirmed during a protest organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation and its sectors and institutions Tuesday, in front of the United Nations office in the capital Sana’a, that the direct losses suffered by the agricultural sector as a result of the US-Saudi-Emirati aggression coalition reached one trillion, 600 billion and 985 million riyals, while the indirect losses and damages amounted nine trillion and 100 billion and 882 million riyals.

He pointed out that the direct damages included total and partial damage to buildings, agricultural facilities, machinery, equipment, agricultural supplies, lands, protected agricultural houses, and productive nurseries, as well as direct damage to livestock, honey bees, and other crops.

He indicated that the indirect damage in the agricultural sector included total damage in the valleys of Al-Sahl Al-Tahami, partial damage in the agricultural authorities affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture, indirect damage in poultry farms, and economic losses in agricultural plant production, protected farmhouses, and productive nurseries.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture stated that the losses of workers in agricultural production due to the aggression exceeded one trillion, 951 billion and 882 million riyals, indicating that the aggression since March 2015 has targeted the Yemeni people’s capabilities and food security in an attempt to humiliate the Yemenis and bring them to their knees.

On behalf of the leaders and employees of the Ministry of Agriculture and employees of the agricultural sector, he called on the United Nations to play its role in pressuring the countries of the aggression coalition to release oil derivative ships to provide the needs and requirements of the vital and service sectors in Yemen, including the agricultural sector.

Al-Roba’e also called on humanitarian organizations to make their slogans real actions to serve humanity, to allow entry of oil derivative ships, to provide for the needs of Yemenis, and to alleviate their suffering.

In his part, a member of the Executive Office of the Agricultural Cooperative Union, Saleh Al-Juma’i, condemned strongly the continuation of the US-Saudi-Emirati aggression coalition in detaining oil derivatives ships and preventing them from reaching Hodeidah port.

He considered that the continued seizure of oil derivative ships will have disastrous effects on the agricultural sector, which is the most important source of food security, as well effect on the production of crops that depend on irrigation water from wells operating with oil derivatives, where it will lead to stopping the agricultural equipment and machinery, and the spoilage and corruption of agricultural products.

Al-Jama’s called on the United Nations and international humanitarian organizations to play their role in pressuring the countries of aggression to stop their aggression, lift the blockade, allow the entry of oil derivatives, domestic gas, food, and medicine, and provide farmers with their fuel needs.

A statement issued in the protest condemned the continuation of the coalition countries in the bombing and closing the land, sea, and airports on the Yemeni people, in an escalation against the Yemeni people, who are witnessing a catastrophic humanitarian situation that is unprecedented in human history.

He explained that closing the outlets and preventing the entry of oil derivatives, target all groups of the Yemeni people, especially the poorest groups of farmers, livestock breeders, and rural producers, whose living standards have deteriorated and their daily income has shrunk.

The statement emphasized that preventing the entry of oil derivatives through the seizure of ships has directly affected the lives of citizens in terms of stopping the workforce, means of transportation, and the decline in local agricultural production, as well as the stopping of refrigerators for agricultural products.

The Ministry of Agriculture renewed its condemnation of the continued aggression in committing massacres against civilians, targeting homes and destroying infrastructure, civil institutions, and fuel stations in light of international silence and complicity, pointing out that organizing the protests for workers in the agricultural sector is a message to the world shows the steadfastness of the Yemeni people of various groups, segments and farmers in the face of aggression.

It called on the international community, the United Nations, the Security Council, the UN Special Envoy and all international organizations to assume legal and humanitarian responsibility of the crimes and violations committed by the US-Saudi-Emirati aggression coalition, considering these crimes a flagrant violation of international charters and laws.

The Ministry of Agriculture held the United Nations and the aggression countries responsible for the resulting losses, and the seizure of ships of petroleum products, which caused the agricultural sector heavy losses and led to the end of livestock and the loss of industries related to agriculture, which exceeded 30 billion dollars.

Resource: ansarollah website.

SH.A.