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Britain and France Join U.S. in Closing Embassies in Yemen Isolation Grows for Houthis in Yemen as Western Embassies Close
(about 5 hours later)
SANA, Yemen — In the wake of the closing of the United States Embassy in Sana, the capital of Yemen, on Wednesday, other Western embassies quickly followed suit. SANA, Yemen — The Houthi militiamen who effectively rule Yemen were increasingly isolated on Wednesday as several Western embassies joined the United States in closing their missions here.
The British Embassy in Sana has been temporarily closed and all diplomatic staff members have been withdrawn, according to a statement posted on Wednesday on the website of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Some international organizations appeared to be reducing their staff as well, and the World Bank, which provides more than $1.1 billion in support to Yemen, had only a guard force on duty on Wednesday at its offices.
The French Embassy, according to a statement on its website, urged all French citizens to leave Yemen as quickly as possible, and it said it would be closed on Friday and until further notice. The statement cited “recent political developments and security reasons.” The country's government collapsed on Jan. 22, leaving international donors with no one to officially accept funds. Saudi Arabia, the biggest unilateral donor, said it was cutting off its more than $4 billion in aid after the Houthi takeover of Sana, the capital, last year.
The American Embassy evacuated the last of its staff members on Tuesday, and it closed completely on Wednesday. The British Embassy in Sana has been shut and all diplomatic staff members have been withdrawn, according to a statement posted on Wednesday on the website of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The French Embassy, according to a statement on its website, urged all French citizens to leave Yemen as quickly as possible and said the mission would be closed on Friday and until further notice. The statement cited “recent political developments and security reasons.”
A security official at the German Embassy on Wednesday said that it was closed, but that diplomats had not yet left.
Yemen has been an important ally in the fight against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and there have been no reports of the withdrawal of American military forces who help carry out drone strikes against the extremists. Despite the Houthis’ public opposition to the drone strikes, they have made no move to stop them, and they are strongly against Al Qaeda.
The State Department urged all Americans living in Yemen to leave, although there has been no sign of an exodus. At the Yemen America Language Institute, the executive director, Aziz Alhadi, a Yemeni-American from Pittsburgh, said none of the school’s four American teachers were planning to leave.
“I think everyone is worried a little bit, but we’ve been through so much already,” he said. “But on the street in Sana, the streets are safer than they were.”
Houthi militiamen who have taken over the Yemen military are omnipresent throughout the city, which has been relatively quiet the past two weeks. “Anything could happen,” he said. “It’s the uncertainty of not knowing what could happen that is hard.”
It was not clear why the Western countries closed their embassies now, because they have been left open during much more violent times in the capital.
“As soon as the Americans do something like this, all the other Western embassies follow them,” said a Foreign Ministry official here, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media. “The closure does not necessarily mean the security situation is bad, but it could mean the foreign missions want to exercise or put more pressure on the Houthis.”“As soon as the Americans do something like this, all the other Western embassies follow them,” said a Foreign Ministry official here, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media. “The closure does not necessarily mean the security situation is bad, but it could mean the foreign missions want to exercise or put more pressure on the Houthis.”
Yemeni staff members at the German Embassy said it was closed on Wednesday, although diplomats had not yet left. A senior member of the Houthi political bureau, speaking on the condition of anonymity as a matter of policy, expressed regret about the American move. “We didn’t want them to go, and we were ready to work with the American Embassy on measures that would assure their protection and facilitate their work.”
A senior member of the Houthi political bureau, speaking on the condition of anonymity as a matter of policy, said he regretted the American move. “We didn’t want them to go, and we were ready to work with the American Embassy on measures that would assure their protection and facilitate their work.”
He said the Houthis would assure the security of the embassy compound until American diplomats returned.He said the Houthis would assure the security of the embassy compound until American diplomats returned.
Yemen has been without a government since the president resigned late last month, citing pressure from Houthi militants who have taken control of the capital but have not yet installed a government of their own. Yemen has been without a government since President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi resigned late last month, citing pressure from Houthi militants who have taken control of the capital but have not yet installed a government of their own.
A United Nations mediator, Jamal Benomar, was expected to convene a third day of talks between the Houthis and other political parties on Wednesday evening to try to form a government.
Over the weekend, Saudi Arabia and other countries denounced the Houthis’ plans to form a government as tantamount to a coup. On Tuesday, however, the Houthis’ top leader in Sana, Saleh Ali al-Sammad, said in an interview that they were willing to negotiate and wanted to share power, not to dominate the country.
Speaking hours before word of the American Embassy closing, Mr. Sammad said the Houthis wanted to establish friendly relations with the United States and Saudi Arabia.
Some United Nations and international activities in Sana appeared to have been curtailed, as well. Guards outside the offices of the United Nations Development Program, which has a large presence in Yemen, said the agency was closed for business.
At the World Bank, no expatriate officials were present, although a security official at the international lending agency said that they were just on a routine leave and that the bank was still functioning with Yemeni staff members. No one was answering the telephone during business hours on Wednesday.
Efforts to reach the World Bank for comment were not immediately successful.
Other United Nations agencies, such as Unicef and the World Food Program, were operating normally. Yemen is one of the world’s poorest countries, with more than 40 percent of its population considered food insecure, and more than half of its children stunted because of malnourishment.
The United States was also a major donor to Yemen, with more than half a billion dollars in direct aid to the country annually. Those contributions will presumably be delayed as long as the embassy is closed, along with the United States Agency for International Development.
With Yemen’s oil sector reeling from production disruptions and falling prices, the country faces a severe economic crisis. It is unclear whether government employees will be paid in February. The government is the largest employer, and most of its employees are still at work.
Government employees were paid for January, but many reportedly received their checks late.