The US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking on Monday arrived in Yemen’s interim capital, Aden, in a show of support for the government.
The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, had left Aden for the city of Taiz to inspect the aftermath of a Houthi-imposed siege and crimes.
For Taiz, this will be the first visit for a senior UN official in around six years.
At a time continued Houthi military escalation is dashing Yemeni hopes for a solution, Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik urged Lenderking to put in place mechanisms that will force the Iran-backed militia to succumb to peacemaking efforts and re-engage with the national transition.
Lenderking and Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy to Yemen Cathy Westley visited Aden where they met with the prime minister, Foreign Minister Ahmed Bin Mubarak, Aden Governor Ahmed Lamlas, other senior government officials, and representatives of Yemeni civil society.
During their meeting with Abdulmalik, Lenderking and Westley reviewed “international stances on the continued Houthi escalation and targeting of civilians and refugees in Marib and elsewhere,” official sources reported.
The Yemeni premier and senior US officials also discussed the need for punitive action to curb the behavior of Houthis and their supporters in Tehran.
They also condemned the militias and their offensive on Marib, which they said exacerbated the dire humanitarian situation there.
Moreover, the officials stressed the need to cease Houthi attacks on Marib and Saudi Arabia immediately.
They also pointed to the importance of mobilizing more effective international pressure to confront Iranian meddling in Yemen, which threatens the security and stability of the region.
Also, the meeting dealt with the current humanitarian and economic situation in Yemen.
The officials reviewed plans to support the government’s efforts to alleviate the suffering of Yemenis, stop the decline in the national currency exchange rates, and curb inflation.
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