The UAE Government said in a statement, “The UAE does not manage or run prisons in Yemen. Prisons in Yemen are under Yemeni authority and fall under the jurisdiction of the country’s institutions. As such, the UAE has urged the Yemeni Government to conduct an independent investigation into the matter and continues to follow up with the Yemeni Government on this front.”

Adding, “We also continue to work closely with the Yemeni Government as part of the Coalition’s stabilisation strategy and have facilitated with the Yemeni Government, in recent months, visits to some prison sites for the International Committee of the Red Cross.”

“The UAE believes that these reports are politically motivated to undermine its efforts as part of the Arab Coalition to support the Yemeni Government,” it concluded.

A senior official from the Yemen Higher Relief Committee had in the meanwhile mentioned that they were grateful to the UAE for helping the Yemenis in need and said that, “They have significantly contributed to alleviating the suffering of people, and bring back normalcy to life in areas liberated from the Iranian-backed Houthi militias.”

Dr. Ibtihaj Al Kamal, Yemeni Minister of Social Affairs and Labour and Deputy Chairman of the Yemen Higher Relief Committee, said, “The humanitarian work carried out by the UAE is appreciated by every Yemeni and demonstrates the depth of brotherly relations between Yemen and the UAE.”

He also added that, “The Yemen Higher Relief Committee salutes the UAE’s exerted efforts in assisting those in need through all its humanitarian bodies working in Yemen, most notably the Emirates Red Crescent.”