The United States warned on Saturday the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen against undermining the safety of civilians in the war-torn country through their impeding of the delivery of humanitarian relief.
It also urged the Houthis to immediately cease their escalation in Yemen’s Marib and listen to international calls for peace.
In a statement, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said: “The United States condemns the Houthi escalation around Marib, which demonstrates a flagrant disregard for the safety of civilians.”
“The Houthis are obstructing movement of people and humanitarian aid, preventing essential services from reaching the 35,000 residents of Abdiya. Their actions add to an already dire humanitarian situation and have caused even more Yemenis to become internally displaced,” he added.
“The United States urges the Houthis to immediately permit safe passage for civilians, life-saving aid, and the wounded. As the UN stated last week, it stands ready with its partners to provide this much needed assistance to the people of Marib,” he stressed.
“We call on the Houthis to stop their offensive on Marib, and listen to the urgent calls from across Yemen and the international community to bring this conflict to an end and support a UN-led inclusive peace process,” Price continued.
The spokesman made his call at a time when US special envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking was meeting with Yemeni and Saudi officials during a tour of the region aimed at reaching a ceasefire and the Houthis’ return to the negotiations table.
Since his appointment earlier this year, the envoy has made over ten trips to the region.
The international community is seeking to persuade the Houthis to accept a ceasefire and return to political negotiations. These efforts have so far failed as the Houthis pursue their attack on Marib.
The province is home to over a million civilians, with many displaced from other parts of the country. The offensive has led to civilian casualties with the Houthis attacking residential districts and displacement camps, drawing international calls for a ceasefire.
Throughout the year, the Houthis have persistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, including Saudi Arabia’s initiative that it had announced earlier in 2020. Accepting the ceasefire could have averted further bloodshed in the country and what the UN has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
