Middle EastUS: Houthis spurned opportunity by shunning UN Yemen envoy
Reuters
2 minute read
Yemen's Houthi group passed up a major opportunity to show a commitment to peace by refusing to meet with a U.N. mediator in Oman, the U.S. State Department said on Friday.
It also accused the Houthis of worsening Yemen's humanitarian crisis by attacking Marib, the last northern stronghold of the Saudi-backed government that the Houthis drove out of the capital, and "exacerbating dire conditions for already-vulnerable internally displaced Yemenis."
Since taking office in January, U.S. President Joe Biden has made Yemen a priority and appointed Tim Lenderking as a special envoy to help revive stalled U.N. peace efforts. Lenderking returned on Thursday from a visit to Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Jordan, during which he met with U.N. mediator Martin Griffiths.