Military assaults waged by Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen’s western coastal governorate of Hodeidah on Friday entered their second week in a row at a time when UN efforts are being poured to shore up a fragile truce.
The UN is also seeking to restore commitment of warring Yemeni parties to the works of the UN Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA).
Yemeni pro-government joint forces confirmed they would continue to repel the continuous attacks by Houthis.
UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths revealed that he had held a virtual meeting with the head of the Houthi-styled Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat.
“In a virtual meeting with Mahdi Al Mashat, I reiterated my call for a stop in the fighting in Hodeidah, discussed the urgency of addressing Safer and the fuel crisis and the Joint Declaration process," Griffiths tweeted.
Griffiths had previously said he was alarmed by reports of casualties among civilians, including women and children.
He also said the military escalation in Hodeidah violates the truce agreement and “runs against the spirit of the ongoing UN-facilitated negotiations that aim to achieve a nationwide ceasefire, humanitarian and economic measures, and the resumption of the political process”.
“This military escalation not only constitutes a violation of the Hodeidah ceasefire agreement but it runs against the spirit of the ongoing UN-facilitated negotiations that aim to achieve a nationwide ceasefire, humanitarian and economic measures and the resumption of the political process,” Griffiths said.
“I have been engaging with all sides. I call on them to immediately stop the fighting, respect the commitments they made under the Stockholm agreement, and engage with UNMHA’s joint implementation mechanisms,” he added.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government welcomed the statements by Griffiths, but blamed Houthi militias for the military escalation that threatens the Hodeidah truce.
The Yemeni foreign ministry said the government has been and is determined to abide by its commitments since the pact was reached in December 2018, and "positively reacted with all calls and initiatives, including the UN Secretary-general's call .. for ceasefire in March 2020."
The ministry blamed the Houthis for the "recent escalation in Hodeidah, violating the ceasefire, using Hodeidah as a platform to send bomb-laden drones to civilian neighborhoods, targeting public and private properties, and restricting the UNMHA's work. All this represents a blatant breach .. of the Hodeidah pact."
