Political observers confirmed that the recent increase in international condemnation of the Houthi militia’s threat to maritime navigation and targeting of the Kingdom, and the full support of Riyadh and its support in the measures it takes to protect its security, reflects the growing international awareness of the threat posed by the militia.
During the past few days, international announcements have escalated condemning the Houthi escalation in Yemen, and the threat to maritime navigation and international trade movement in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, in addition to declaring full solidarity and standing by Saudi Arabia in the face of Houthi attacks, and revealing plans to provide military support to ensure freedom of maritime navigation. This included the United States, France, Britain, and Italy, in addition to the “Mecca Joint Defense Agreement” countries, which recently discussed in Riyadh ways to support Saudi Arabia in accordance with The agreement, and affirmed its commitment to collective defense, which embodies its determination to defend Saudi Arabia’s security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, praising the solid relations and mutual trust that unites its peoples and armed forces.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, the former Saudi officer and strategic analyst, Abdul Latif Al-Mulhim, said that the announcement by Britain, France, the United States, and Italy to provide various forms of support and military and intelligence capabilities, whether to support Saudi Arabia, or to contribute to ensuring freedom of maritime navigation and the movement of trade, is an initial response to the call that Saudi Arabia made early on for the need for the international community to assume its responsibilities.
Al-Mulhim added that these announcements, especially since they came from the highest levels of leadership in those countries, reflect two aspects: First: the realization that the Houthis have become an international threat, and must be confronted and prevented from turning the goals of regional powers into reality by controlling freedom of navigation in the two most important sea straits in the region, which are the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab. The other aspect, it reveals the importance of military cooperation with Saudi Arabia, and the belief in the importance of strengthening cooperation and exchanging experiences, and dealing with it as one of the most important sources of energy in the region. The world, and that any impact on its capabilities may pose a threat to the fate of ensuring energy supplies, including what the east-west line was subjected to from Houthi targeting.
As for the form of cooperation within the framework of these announcements, Al-Melhim expects that Saudi Arabia’s interest will be focused more on achieving international consensus regarding the behavior of the militias, which was absent in previous periods, until we reached this stage that came as a result of Saudi efforts to clarify this reality, in addition to the actual threat posed by the militias, at least through their targeting of Saudi Arabia, or their announcement of imposing a ban in the strait, which could develop over time, if the international community is late in carrying out its responsibilities.
As for the political analyst, Ahmed Al-Ibrahim, he believes that the “Mecca Joint Defense Agreement” provides a regional umbrella for joint defense between the three countries. He considered that the meeting of the chiefs of staff of these countries in Riyadh confirmed their intention to immediately begin translating the commitments contained in the “Mecca Agreement” into effective military cooperation. He added that targeting Saudi Arabia is directly related to the basic principle of the agreement, “Any attack on one of the parties to the agreement is an attack on all of its countries,” in addition to that it affects the energy and trade security of these three countries and the region. And the region, pointing out that these political and military movements in this context reflect real and unprecedented seriousness after years of absence of international and regional responsibility towards the security of Yemen and Bab al-Mandab, which a few countries, led by Saudi Arabia, responded to, as he described it.
Al-Ibrahim reaffirmed that Saudi Arabia for years called for the need to pay attention to the Houthi threat if the militia took control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and there was not sufficient international awareness during previous years. However, the recent Houthi behavior contributed to creating international awareness of this danger in these circumstances, and a number of countries took pre-emptive measures before the threats escalated. He continued: “I expect that we will see announcements of this kind soon, especially from international and Western powers.”
Barham Salih, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, praised the great humanitarian efforts and pioneering role played by Saudi Arabia through the urgent response of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, and the provision of relief and emergency aid to refugees, noting the fruitful strategic partnership that brings together the two sides.
This came during his meeting with Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabiah, Advisor to the Royal Court and General Supervisor of the Center, on Friday, on the sidelines of the work of the United Nations General Assembly at its 81st session held in New York City.
The two sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation and coordinate humanitarian and relief efforts to support refugees and displaced persons, and ways to alleviate their suffering in various parts of the world, in addition to discussing developments in joint programs and projects.
The General Supervisor of the Center signed a joint executive program with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. To implement a project to shelter Syrian families returning to their country during the coming winter.
Under the program, 987 damaged homes will be rehabilitated to become safe and usable residential spaces, and 10,768 winter bags will be distributed, including highly insulated blankets, plastic sheets (tarpaulins), and winter clothes and jackets. To protect families from extreme cold waves, and benefit 58,625 individuals in need, women with breadwinners, widows, children, and the elderly in the governorates of: Aleppo, Damascus countryside, Deir ez-Zor, Idlib, and Homs.
The agreement came within the framework of Saudi Arabia’s efforts - represented by the Center - to enable Syrian families to voluntarily return to their homes and stabilize them, create a living environment that guarantees them to live in dignity and security, and raise the resilience of the most needy groups.
Later, Dr. Al-Rabiah discussed with Alexander De Croo, Director of the United Nations Development Programme, in a bilateral meeting in New York, matters of common interest related to humanitarian and relief affairs.
De Croo praised the distinguished cooperation relations between the two sides, noting the center’s support for vulnerable groups in the world through a series of humanitarian programs.
