United Nations data has contradicted recent Houthi assertions that food and medicine ships were detained for up to four months before entering Yemeni ports, revealing that the average waiting period does not exceed six days. Operational analysis by the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen (UNVIM) for June 2026 indicates that the average waiting time for food vessels, including container ships, was only three days in the waiting area and an additional three days at the berth, totaling six days. This contrasts sharply with figures from June 2025, when ships waited an average of 30 days in the waiting area and nine days at the berth. The UNVIM data demonstrates a significant improvement, with a 90% reduction in the average waiting time for ships in port holding areas and a 67% decrease in the average time spent at berths compared to the same period last year. These figures underscore a substantial streamlining of maritime logistics. The report's figures indicate that the average time food and medicine ships require to complete waiting and berthing procedures is no more than six days. This directly challenges the claims of four-month detentions prior to entering Yemen. The findings are based on official operational data released by the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen (UNVIM), which is responsible for overseeing the verification and inspection procedures for vessels destined for Yemeni ports. |
