UNITED NATIONS — Saudi Arabia's permanent representative to the UN Abdullah Al-Moalami said on Saturday that Russia's call for a humanitarian pause in Yemen is a tactic to distract from a draft resolution by Gulf Arab states and Jordan that is being negotiated by the Security Council. Al-Moalami's comments to Al Hadath, Al Arabiya's sister channel, came shortly after Russia had called for a UN meeting of the 15-member council on Yemen. Russia had distributed a draft resolution at the UN pressing for a suspension of the airstrikes to allow evacuation of foreign civilians and diplomats, demanding rapid and unhindered humanitarian access, according to an Al Arabiya News Channel's correspondent in New York. The correspondent added that the draft, which was only one page, did not include any demands for the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Earlier on Saturday, Al-Moalami had stressed that Saudi Arabia shared Russia's concerns for ensuring the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Yemen, but the method of implementing this is yet to be discussed. “We always provided the necessary facilities for humanitarian assistance to be delivered,” he told reporters. “We have cooperated fully with all requests for evacuation,” he added, supporting comments made earlier by Brig. Gen. Ahmad Al-Asiri, spokesperson of the coalition forces and adviser at the office of the minister of defense. Asiri told the media that the coalition forces command on Saturday formed a committee and assigned a hotline to expedite and organize the process for humanitarian work in Yemen through recognized humanitarian organizations. He said that coalition forces were carrying out humanitarian and evacuation work, and opening the way for humanitarian organizations to coordinate with pertinent authorities to provide assistance to the needy. Al-Moalami also said the humanitarian situation in Yemen was already addressed in the draft resolution by Gulf Arab states and Jordan. It is being negotiating with the council's veto-wielding powers — Russia, China, the United States, Britain and France. — SG
