A/HRC/45/CRP.7 March 2020, a YEMAC team member was killed in Al-Jawf dismantling a mine.166 It was also reported that the Houthis have not provided a mapping of mines or participated in mine clearing in Al-Hudaydah, meaning that the authorities themselves may not know where they are located. This is further complicated when mines are mobile, for example being washed up on shores or making their way down from the mountains or rural areas. 3. Interference in humanitarian aid 126. The Group of Experts has documented a range of conduct by parties to the conflict amounting to interference with the delivery of humanitarian aid in violation of international norms, either by unduly restricting access or by engaging in practices that undermine the ability of humanitarian organizations to carry out their work.167 127. The types of interference with humanitarian aid in Yemen are diverse. The Group received reports of interference with the aid itself such as: stealing or diverting food baskets; destroying food or storing it in a way that results in it being unfit for human consumption or until its expiration; as well as parties arbitrarily denying food aid by selectively providing it only to persons loyal to the controlling party to the conflict (to the detriment of others in need of that same aid); and distributing spoiled food. At the same time, the Group documented cases in which the interference took the form of burdensome requirements imposed on aid organizations, including unreasonable and prolonged registration and permitting processes for aid organizations to operate within the controlling parties’ territory. These sometimes resulted in the cancellation of a project or its untimely delay. Other examples included the arbitrary denial of project and travel permits; and controlling and manipulating project parameters, beneficiaries, and locations. Additionally, aid organizations and workers themselves have suffered harassment, defamation, detention, arrest, attacks and abduction/disappearance. 128. The World Food Programme has criticised the Houthis for their interference with humanitiarian aid, and called for the Houthis to cease such interference.168 Since 2017, the WFP has repeatedly complained of interference with and diversion of humanitarian aid by the Houthis.169 In June 2019, the WFP reiterated the difficulties in distributing humanitarian aid, called for parties to allow WFP to do its job and highlighted that “[f]ood assistance provided by the United Nations is being diverted in areas controlled by Ansar Allah at the expense of children, women and men”.170 As recently as 20 June 2020, the WFP partially suspended its aid operations in Houthi controlled territory citing the Houthis’ refusal to negotiate an agreement concerning the use of biometrics and beneficiary identification to prevent the diversion of aid from those determined most vulnerable.171 The Group received allegations of families who volunteered their children as Houthi fighters being allocated food baskets as compensation. These reports remain to be verified. 129. In the last reporting period, the Group of Experts concluded that no legitimate justification existed for the Houthis to deny WFP access to the Mills between January and May 2019. 130. This year the Group examined reports of cumbersome requirements imposed by the Houthis on humanitarian agencies and organizations in relation to permits, access, management, and operations. While parties to a conflict are entitled to oversee the delivery 166 Confidential source on file. This interference has been documented by Human Rights Watch, see HRW, Deadly Consequences Obstruction of Aid in Yemen During Covid-19, September 2020, available at: https://www.hrw.org/report/2020/09/14/deadly-consequences/obstruction-aid-yemen-during-covid-19 168 Several key donor States also criticised such interference. 169 See also: https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/under-secretary-general-humanitarian-affairs-andemergency-relief-coordinator-mark-26 where the WFP states that last year alone, the Houthis passed 200 regulations managing humanitarian aid and citing the problems arising from Houthi interference with aid over the years. 170 https://insight.wfp.org/world-food-programme-wfp-executive-director-addresses-un-securitycouncil-on-yemen-88ba18622ea. See also https://www.state.gov/special-briefing-via-telephone-onyemen-humanitarian-aid/. 171 https://www.wfp.org/news/world-food-programme-begins-partial-suspension-aid-yemen. 167 38