UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths called on Tuesday for immediate and urgent steps for de-escalation in Marib, and noted the increase in the number of ceasefire violations in Hodeidah.
During his monthly briefing to the UN Security Council about efforts to broker an agreement between the Yemeni government and Houthi militias for a nationwide ceasefire, Griffiths again raised the alarm about the immense environmental and humanitarian threat posed by the Safer tanker.
“At the beginning of this month, Houthis confirmed in writing to us that they would authorize a long-planned, UN-supervised, technical mission to the tanker. However, we are still awaiting the permissions necessary for this team to deploy,” he said.
Griffiths said “an independent and expert-driven assessment is critical for allowing us to fully understand the scope and size of the issue and the possible solutions,” promising to keep the Council informed of any developments.
Also, the UN envoy called on Yemeni parties to make the compromises necessary to reach an agreement on a joint final text that meets the aspirations of the Yemeni people.
Griffiths spoke about the UN-brokered negotiations between the Yemeni government and Houthis, to reach agreement on a Joint Declaration that will include a nationwide ceasefire, economic and humanitarian measures, and the resumption of the political process aimed at comprehensively resolving and ending the conflict.
“We had reached a delicate moment, with much at stake,” Griffiths said, explaining that these negotiations have been ongoing for four months.
He said the process for reaching agreement on a final text has been “long and challenging.”
"There is a real risk that these negotiations will slip away, and that Yemen will enter a new phase of prolonged escalation, of the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19, and of severe and threatening economic decline," Griffiths told the Security Council in his briefing.
The UN envoy noted that as those negotiations continue, “life has become even more unforgiving,” for Yemenis across the country, adding that Yemen is experiencing the worst of times.
Speaking about Marib, he said the continued military campaign has wreaked profound humanitarian and economic consequences.
In Hodeidah, Griffiths said the level of violence has not relented, and there has been an increase in the number of ceasefire violations.
“The Redeployment Coordination Committee and the joint mechanisms to implement the Hodeidah Agreement are still not functioning,” he said, adding that the UNMHA continues efforts to overcome the mistrust between the Parties and to restore dialogue at a minimum between them.
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