The UN special envoy for Yemen warns that the relative calm in the country is “fragile”

Grundberg asks the warring parties for efforts to end the conflict

July 11 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United Nations special envoy in Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has warned the parties to the conflict that the relative calm in the country is “fragile”, for which he has asked to stop military provocations to end the conflict, after almost a decade of civil war that has caused a humanitarian crisis.

Grundberg has indicated before the Security Council that despite the expiration of the truce, the Yemenis continue to feel the benefits of the longest period of relative calm since the beginning of the conflict, while thanking the efforts of Saudi Arabia and Oman.

“More importantly, this period of relative calm has opened the door for serious discussions with Yemeni actors about the way forward to end the conflict,” he said, referring to developments such as Saudi Arabia once again allowing flights of Yemeni pilgrims.

In this sense, he stressed that the way forward, “although challenging, is well lit”, for which reason he encouraged the parties to agree on a lasting ceasefire at the national level. “The situation on the ground remains fragile and challenging,” he remarked, criticizing the parties’ battles on the economic front and restrictions on freedom of movement, aggravated by landmines and extreme weather events.

The Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Joyce Msuya, has warned that humanitarian needs will remain high “for the foreseeable future”, for which she has called for efforts to stabilize the economy and resume oil exports from areas controlled by the Government. She has also called for the immediate release of United Nations personnel and the protection of aid workers.

The representative of Yemen, Abdullah Ali Fadhel al Sadi, has indicated that his government has shown flexibility and has made “unilateral concessions to renew the truce”, but that peace cannot be achieved unless his country has a true partner who believes in civil status and renounces his right to govern.

Al Sadi has denounced that the Houthis militias have not fulfilled their commitment or made necessary concessions, while they continue to reject peace efforts and impose restrictions. That is why he has asked the Council to pressure the Iranian-backed militias to stop using the economy for political gain.

However, the representative of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed Isa Abushahab, has called on the Houthis to fully comply with the resolution and, while acknowledging the positive steps that include maintaining the truce, has stressed that “the long-suffering Yemeni people deserves better.”

The war in Yemen has ended up plunging what was one of the poorest countries in the world into the worst humanitarian catastrophe at present, according to the United Nations. More than 21 million Yemenis (two thirds of the population) will need humanitarian aid this year and 17 million of them will need to receive it urgently to survive.

The conflict has left almost 380,000 dead, either from the fighting or from hunger and disease; more than 85,000 of them children, to which must be added four million displaced persons, according to data considered by UN agencies.

The peace talks in Yemen have been boosted by the agreement reached in March between Saudi Arabia and Iran to normalize their diplomatic relations, broken in 2016, thanks to the mediation of China. Riyadh and Tehran have supported warring parties in the context of the conflict that broke out in 2015 in the Asian country, which shares a border with Saudi Arabia.