United Nations Special Envoy Martin Griffiths said Tuesday it was urgent now more than ever for warring parties in Yemen to stop fighting, warning of a dramatic deterioration of the conflict following Iran-backed Houthi militias’ offensive on the Marib province, which puts civilians, including an estimated one million internally displaced persons, at risk.
“That there should be no preconditions for resuming the political process, if we fail on these other matters. Resuming the process, and engaging seriously in it, is an obligation upon the warring parties anywhere,” the envoy said in virtual meeting to the UN Security Council.
Griffiths mentioned new fronts that have opened in Yemen, with fighting escalating in Hajjah, Taiz and Hodeidah.
“Cross-border attacks against civilian and commercial sites in Saudi Arabia have also increased in recent weeks, followed by air strikes in the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa,” he explained.
Griffiths and US special envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking have recently been pushing for a nationwide ceasefire in Yemen. But it appears the Iranian-backed militia group is prioritizing a military offensive to take Marib.
Echoing the small chances to reach peace in the country, Griffiths said at the start of his briefing, “I am returning to this Council, yet again, to report a deterioration of the conflict in Yemen.”
The envoy said fighting forces on both sides have suffered heavy losses in this “unnecessary” battle. “I see shocking reports, as I am sure we all do, of children increasingly getting drawn into the war effort and deprived of their future,” he noted.
According to Griffiths, a nationwide ceasefire, along with the opening of Sanaa airport and ensuring the unhindered flow of fuel and other commodities into Yemen through Hodeidah ports, are urgent humanitarian imperatives.
“These measures will ease the impact of the conflict on civilians, will facilitate Yemenis’ right to freedom of movement and it is clear we must do all we can to allow Yemen to survive, to give it a chance under these circumstances,” he said.
Griffiths added another priority: resumption of the inclusive political process, as the parties can only resolve their differences through negotiation.
“We know that without a resolution of those differences, without a political settlement, there will be no sustainable defeat of humanitarian problems.”
UN Humanitarian Coordinator Mark Lowcock reminded ambassadors that Yemen is “speeding towards a massive famine” as resources dwindle. Although $1.7 billion was raised at a donor conference last month, the figure is less than half of what is required for operations this year.
