The UN special new envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg told the UN Security Council on Friday that the offensive by Houthis in Yemen's northern Marib province "must stop." Grundberg who delivered his first briefing to the Security Council in his capacity as new UN Special Envoy for Yemen said: "Civilians, including the many internally displaced persons who sought refuge in Marib, live in constant fear of violence and renewed displacement." "The UN and the international community has been clear in its message: The offensive must stop." The offensive in the Marib region has been going on since the beginning of 2020 and has "killed thousands of young Yemenis," the envoy said. "The fighting must stop, the violence has to come to an end," he insisted. "The peace process has been stalled for too long. The conflict parties have not discussed a comprehensive settlement since 2016," Grundberg said. He said he would soon travel to Saudi Arabia to meet Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, and planned to see the Houthis as well. "My first consultations with Yemeni, regional and international actors will soon start. I will shortly travel to Riyadh to meet with President Hadi and other members of the government of Yemen." Talks are also planned with Saudi, Omani, Emirati, Kuwaiti, Iranian and Egyptian officials, he said. "The conflict in Yemen also spills across borders, threatening regional security and international waterways. I am particularly concerned about targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure inside of Saudi Arabia." He said: "The UN's approach to ending the conflict must be inclusive. To define the best way forward, I intend to assess past efforts, identify what has worked and what hasn't, and listen to as many Yemeni men and women as possible." "The way forward must be guided by the aspirations of the Yemeni people." — SG
