Taiz — A delegation from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) conducted an official visit to the historic Port of Mocha this week to evaluate its suitability as a designated hub for receiving and dispatching humanitarian aid to Yemen’s conflict-affected regions.

The visit comes amid growing international efforts to diversify and secure aid delivery routes into Yemen, where millions remain in urgent need of food, medicine, and essential services. The UNICEF team, accompanied by logistics and infrastructure experts, toured the port’s facilities and met with local authorities to discuss operational capacity, security protocols, and customs procedures.

According to UNICEF’s regional logistics coordinator, the Mocha Port offers strategic advantages due to its location along the Red Sea and its proximity to underserved areas in Taiz, Ibb, and parts of Hodeidah.

“We are exploring all viable options to ensure timely and safe delivery of humanitarian supplies,” the coordinator said. “Mocha has historical significance and emerging logistical potential.”

Local officials welcomed the visit, expressing readiness to cooperate with international agencies to rehabilitate and upgrade the port’s infrastructure. The Governor of Taiz, Nabil Shamsan, emphasized the importance of integrating Mocha into Yemen’s humanitarian logistics network, noting that it could ease pressure on overstretched ports like Aden and Mukalla.

The UNICEF delegation also assessed warehouse capacity, docking facilities, and road connectivity to inland distribution centers. Preliminary findings will be shared with UN OCHA and other humanitarian partners as part of a broader review of aid corridors in Yemen.

If approved, Mocha Port could become a vital node in the humanitarian supply chain, helping to accelerate aid delivery and reduce delays caused by political and security constraints in other regions.

The visit reflects UNICEF’s ongoing commitment to reaching vulnerable children and families across Yemen, where over 18 million people require humanitarian assistance amid continued conflict and economic collapse.