Yemeni parties to attend peace talks in Sweden said UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths.
Warring factions in Yemen have confirmed they will attend peace talks in Sweden, UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths said Friday.
"This is a crucial moment for Yemen. I have received firm assurances from the leadership of the Yemeni parties," said Griffiths at a UN Security Council meeting. "They are committed to attending these consultations. I believe they are genuine."
Griffiths said he will head to Sanaa next week, and would travel with the delegation to the consultations in Sweden, if necessary.
The UN envoy noted he was close to "solving the preparatory issues that will allow us to make this happen."
"With increased international attention, has come a renewed commitment from the Yemeni parties to work on a political solution," Griffiths said.
Impoverished Yemen has been wracked by violence since 2014 when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa, and al-Hudaydah province.
The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a massive air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains and shoring up the country’s pro-Saudi government.
The violence has devastated Yemen’s basic infrastructure, including its health and sanitation systems, prompting the UN to describe the situation as “one of the worst humanitarian disasters of modern times”.
The announcement by Griffiths came after the chief of the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) David Beasley gave an update on the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
"This is not on the brink of a catastrophe. This is a catastrophe," Beasley said at a news conference.
According to the WFP, 18 million people in Yemen are food insecure, and between 12 to 14 million people are severely food insecure.
"These are people, literally, marching toward the brink of starvation," Beasley added.
Last week forces loyal to Yemen's internationally-recognized government launched a fresh military operation to retake al-Hudaydah -- and its two strategic seaports -- from Houthi rebels.
On Tuesday, the UN's humanitarian affairs chief Mark Lowcock called for a cease-fire to the ongoing conflict, which led to a halt in clashes in the port city of al-Hudaydah, according to Yemeni security forces.
Republican and Democratic U.S. senators introduced legislation on Thursday seeking to strike back at Saudi Arabia over the death of a Saudi journalist at a consulate in Turkey and for its role in Yemen's devastating civil war.If it were to become law, the bill would suspend weapon sales to Saudi Arabia and prohibit U.S. refueling of Saudi coalition aircraft for Riyadh's campaign in Yemen against the Houthis, Shi'ite Muslim fighters that Yemen's neighbors view as agents of Iran, the lawmakers said.Funeral prayer to be performed for KhashoggiWashington Post slams Riyadh's new Khashoggi account
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Yemeni security sources reported Thursday that clashes have stopped in the port city of al-Hudaydah since late Wednesday.Military operations in al-Hudaydah were stopped based on an agreement between the Yemeni government and the UN, Asil es-Sakledi, head of the press office of Amalika Brigade told Anadolu Agency.Sakledi said operations stopped due to allow representatives of international aid organizations to reach food stores and evacuate civilians from conflict areas.He said military forces created "safe corridors for evacuation".The Houthi rebel group said in a statement there is no serious communication about the political solution or the cease-fire.The UN's humanitarian affairs chief Mark Lowcock called Tuesday for a cease-fire in Yemen's ongoing conflict to facilitate the flow of direly needed international assistance.Already the Arab world's poorest nation prior to the start of the conflict, Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014 when the Houthis overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a devastating air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.
Clashes stop in Yemeni port city
The Saudi-led coalition has ordered a halt in its offensive against Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen's main port city of Hodeidah, three sources told Reuters on Thursday.The decision came as key Western allies including the United States pressed for a ceasefire ahead of renewed U.N.-led peace efforts to end more than three years of war which have pushed Yemen to the brink of famine."The coalition has instructed forces on the ground to halt fighting inside Hodeidah," said one pro-coalition military source. Another military source backed by the coalition confirmed the order.Two protesters shot dead in eastern YemenA third non-military source with knowledge of the decision said the coalition was responding to international requests for a ceasefire to ensure the Houthis attend planned peace talks.A coalition spokesman did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment.U.N. special envoy Martin Griffiths is trying to salvage talks between the warring Yemeni parties after the last round in September collapsed when the Houthis did not show up.The Sunni Muslim coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened in Yemen's war in 2015 to restore the internationally recognized government ousted by the Houthi movement in 2014.The alliance relies on Western arms and intelligence in the conflict, seen as a proxy war between Riyadh and Tehran, which has killed more than 10,000 people.Greek border guards strip, beat Yemeni, Palestinian migrantsTurkish agency distributes aid in war-torn YemenEU: Civilians paying ultimate price in Yemen conflictYemeni army advances into Al-Hudaydah amid clashes
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Two protesters were shot dead by government forces in eastern Yemen on Wednesday, according to a senior security official.Local residents staged a protest against a decision to erect a security checkpoint in Haswain, west of Mahra province, the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.He said the protest developed into an armed clash during which security forces opened fire, killing two and injuring four others, the official said.Turkish agency distributes aid in war-torn YemenMahra governor Rajeh Bakrit, for his part, said on Twitter the security checkpoint came under fire from “outlaws and traffickers”, backed by Houthi rebels.“They have been dealt with firmly,” he said, vowing to “strike with an iron fist against whoever tampers with security and stability of the homeland”.The government-controlled Mahra province has the longest coast in eastern Yemen with 560 kilometers on the Arabian Sea.Since 2014, when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by violence and turmoil.EU: Civilians paying ultimate price in Yemen conflict
Two protesters shot dead in eastern Yemen