Riyadh, Safar 20, 1438, Nov 20, 2016, SPA -- Yemeni Minister of Local Administration and Chairman of the Higher Committee for Relief Abdalraqib Saif Fatah has confirmed that militias of Houthi and Saleh have held a number of relief ships from donor countries. In a meeting with Russia's Ambassador to Yemen Vladimir Dedushkin here last night, he said that the putschists, dominating the ports of Al-Salif and Hodeidah, west of the country, were preventing entry of aid to the provinces under their control, resulting in a famine in a number of these provinces, especially Hodeidah. According to the official Yemeni news agency, the Minister called on international community to put pressure on the coup leaders and convince them to allow the access of relief aid to the provinces under their control, pointing out that under the leadership of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, the Yemeni government is doing all efforts to establish peace in Yemen, according to the terms of reference agreed upon nationally. For his part, the Russian Ambassador to Yemen appreciated the Yemeni government's efforts to settle a just and comprehensive peace in Yemen, stressing Russian Federation's standing by and support for the Yemen's government and the international legitimacy resolutions in the light of the intransigence of the putschists and their rejection of the peace opportunities in Yemen. --SPA 11:30 LOCAL TIME 08:30 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w272708