GCC secretary-general stresses commitment to completing Gulf railway project on schedule    Saudi minister holds strategic AI and tech talks with French institutions in Paris    Absher processed over 35 million transactions in June 2025    Seven Umrah companies suspended for housing pilgrims in unlicensed accommodations    KSrelief signs Syria wildfire response deal in Latakia    Youth-led Saudi businesses exceed 474K    ASICS and Saudi Sports for All launch startup pitch to boost sports innovation in Saudi Arabia    GCC and Muslim World League condemn Israeli strikes on Syria    Striking trade deal with US was an 'extraordinary struggle,' Indonesia says    Scientists recover proteins from a 24 million-year-old rhino fossil    Harry Potter actress Emma Watson banned from driving for speeding    Thousands of Afghans were moved to UK in secret scheme after data breach    Trump says attorney general should release any 'credible' information on Epstein    Saudi Arabia to expand railway network by over 50% under transport strategy    Health official warns against unsupervised use of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Mounjaro    Biggest human imaging study scans 100,000th person    Jorge Jesus returns to Saudi Arabia as Al Nassr head coach on one-year deal    Jannik Sinner beats Carlos Alcaraz to win his maiden Wimbledon title    Chelsea defeat PSG 3-0 to win first expanded Club World Cup    Theo Hernández: Al Hilal can compete with Europe's best    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Yemen 'a tale of missed and then lost opportunities,' outgoing UN envoy tells Security Council
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 16 - 06 - 2021

Yemen's warring sides have been unable to overcome their differences, dashing hopes for peace, the UN special envoy for the country said on Tuesday in his final briefing to the Security Council in the role.
Martin Griffiths, who was appointed in 2018, has been mediating efforts to end five years of fighting between the country's internationally recognized government and the Iran-backed Houthi militia.
"As you know, for the past year and a half, I have conducted rounds of shuttle diplomacy with the parties", he recalled.
"It is with deep regret, Mr. President, that I report today, as of now, that the parties have yet to overcome their differences."
Griffiths described Yemen as "a tale of missed and then lost opportunities."
He informed ambassadors that the Houthi militia has insisted on a stand-alone agreement for the crucial ports in Hodeidah, and the Sana'a airport, as a pre-condition for negotiations on a nationwide ceasefire and the launch of the political process.
The government, on the other hand, wants all these issues to be agreed and implemented as a package, with a particular focus on getting the ceasefire established.
"Now we have offered different solutions to bridge these positions", he said. "Unfortunately, as of now, none of these suggestions have been accepted."
"I hope very, very much indeed, I'm sure we all do, that the efforts undertaken by the Sultanate of Oman as well as others, but the Sultanate of Oman in particular, following my own visits to Sana'a and Riyadh, will bear fruit and that we will soon hear a different turn of fate for Yemen."
A sense of security
He stressed that the ceasefire "would have undeniable humanitarian value" as it would open vital roads and create a sense of security for citizens.
"Let me also be clear, the continued closure of Sana'a airport as well as the extensive restrictions on fuel through the ports of Hodeidah, are not justifiable and must be addressed urgently", he added.
The UN envoy underlined the need for an inclusive political process in Yemen, and settlement, to escape cycles of violence and conflict.
"A political settlement will need to reflect the interests of diverse conflict parties. It must guarantee the interests and rights of those most affected by the conflict, and not only those who perpetuate and lead in the conflict," he said.
Last month, it was announced that Griffiths will be taking up the position of UN Humanitarian Coordinator. He began his briefing by noting that Yemen remains the world's worst man-made humanitarian crisis and that ending war is a choice.
"Yemeni men, women and children are suffering every day because people with power have missed the opportunities presented to them, to make the necessary concessions to end the war," he said.
"As a result, Yemenis are obliged to live under violence, insecurity, and fear, with limits to their freedom of movement, and freedom of expression. And perhaps most tragically of all, we are a witness to the hopes and aspirations of a generation of young Yemenis for a peaceful future being dashed."
'Give peace a chance'
On average, at least five civilians killed or injured in Yemen each day, outgoing UN Humanitarian Coordinator Mark Lowcock told the Council.
May has been the bloodiest month so far this year, with more than 60 people killed across the country.
Meanwhile, although aid agencies are now assisting more than 10 million people every month, they still face too many obstacles, mostly in areas under Houthi control.
Lowcock recalled that shortly after taking up the job as the UN's "relief chief" in 2017, he appealed for five steps to help Yemen: stopping the war, better protection for civilians, greater access for humanitarian workers, more funding for aid operations, and more support for the economy.
"Nearly four years later, they are still the things we ask for every month," he said.
"There is broad agreement on what to do, including in the Security Council, and we need to translate that agreement into action", he continued. "That means everyone — especially the parties to the conflict — must act on all five of those points that we've been discussing here for years."
He stated there should not be any pre-conditions for a ceasefire.
"War has solved nothing. Try something different. Give peace a chance." — UN news


Clic here to read the story from its source.