By Ali Aweida

MAARIB, Yemen

The Yemeni government has slammed an agreement signed between the UN and the Houthi rebel group to set up an “air-bridge” for the transport of critical medical patients.

At a Thursday meeting in Riyadh between Yemeni Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Mansour Bajash and UN humanitarian coordinator Liz Grande, the former expressed his “dismay” over the agreement.

“The Yemeni government condemns the UN's signing of an MoU with Hisham Sharaf [foreign minister in the Houthi-led government] calling for the establishment of an air-bridge for Yemeni medical patients,” Yemen’s SABA news agency quoted Bajash as saying at the meeting.

“This agreement contravenes UN Security Council resolutions and will negatively affect the good relations between the [Yemeni] government and international organizations,” he said.

Bajash went on to stress that the Aden-based government “will not recognize the agreement”.

Grande, for her part, said the UN only recognized Yemen’s “legitimate” government, in reference to the Aden-based government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.

On Saturday, the UN signed an MoU with Houthi officials in Sanaa to provide medical transport for critically ill patients.