Blinken Welcomes Resumption Of Commercial Flights Between Sanaa, Amman

Blinken Welcomes Resumption of Commercial Flights Between Sanaa, Amman

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday welcomed the resumption of flights between Yemen's Sanaa and Jordan's Amman

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th May, 2022) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday welcomed the resumption of flights between Yemen's Sanaa and Jordan's Amman.

Earlier in the day, a plane of Yemen's flag carrier Yemenia took off from Sanaa International Airport en route to the Jordanian capital in the first commercial passenger flight after years of war.

"The United States welcomes today's flight between Sana'a, Yemen, and Amman, Jordan, the first commercial flight from Sana'a since 2016. We hope it will enable Yemenis to travel to see loved ones, seek medical care, and find respite from the conflict," Blinken said in a statement.

He added that the United States appreciates the efforts of the Yemeni authorities and the UN special envoy's efforts to enable this flight and thanks Saudi Arabia and Jordan for their support.

"We look forward to regular flights to and from Sana'a as called for in the UN-led truce. We urge all parties to adhere to the terms of the truce and make progress on other steps to bring relief to Yemenis - including urgently opening roads to Taiz, the third largest city with hundreds of thousands of Yemenis in need of humanitarian assistance, and other contested areas, where Yemenis have suffered for far too long," Blinken said.

US National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson also welcomed the resumption of flights.

"Yemen today is witnessing its calmest period since the war began, and these flights are an important step in further improving the lives and opportunities for the Yemeni people. The United States thanks Saudi Arabia for its leadership in helping to overcome obstacles to the resumption of these flights," she said.

On April 2, a two-month UN-brokered ceasefire began in Yemen, supported by all parties to the conflict, including the Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis. As part of the truce, commercial flights from Sanaa International Airport to Egypt were expected to resume in April, but did not.

The conflict between the Yemeni government forces and the Houthis has been going on since 2014. The situation was further aggravated in 2015 after a coalition led by Saudi Arabia joined the conflict on the Yemeni government's side and began conducting air, land, and sea operations against the Islamist rebel movement.