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.
×
A Palestinian family prepare traditional pastries to be sold in preparation for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday which marks the end of Ramadan, in the village of Susya in the southern area of Hebron, on May 7, 2021. (Photo by HAZEM BADER / AFP)
1/4
Israeli police use a water cannon to disperse Palestinian protesters from the area near the Damascus Gate to the Old City of Jerusalem after clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Friday, May 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
2/4
A member of UNIFIL monitors from a hill by the border facing the Israeli northern town of Metula, during a ceremony by members and supporters of Hezbollah and Palestinian refugees to mark al-Quds (Jerusalem) day, on May 7, 2021. (Photo by Ali DIA / AFP)
Date Time
U.S. Special Envoy Lenderking Returns from Travel to Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Jordan
U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking returned on May 6 from travel to Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Jordan. In Saudi Arabia, he held meetings with senior government officials, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, to stress the need to ease all restrictions at Hudaydah Port and Sana’a Airport, reach a comprehensive, nationwide ceasefire, and move to inclusive political talks. Separately, U.S. Special Envoy Lenderking and UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths met twice with the P5 Ambassadors to Yemen, at the beginning and the end of the trip. The permanent members of the UN Security Council expressed determination to see the conflict resolved. They agreed that enabling the free flow of goods and commodities into and through Yemen, achieving a nationwide ceasefire, and swiftly transitioning to political talks is the only way to bring lasting relief to the Yemeni people a
WASHINGTON: The US State Department said on Friday the Iran-backed Houthi group had passed up a “major opportunity” to demonstrate a commitment to peace by refusing to meet with UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths in Muscat.
In a statement, the department also charged that the militia were worsening the humanitarian situation in Yemen by continuing to attack Marib.
“Contradictory to their pronouncements regarding the humanitarian situation in Yemen, the Houthis worsen it by continuing to attack Marib and exacerbating dire conditions for already vulnerable, internally displaced Yemenis,” Friday’s statement read.
“There is a fair deal on the table that will bring immediate relief to Yemeni people. The Houthis passed up a major opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to peace and to make progress on this proposal by refusing to meet with UN Special Envoy Griffiths in Muscat especially given the Republic of Yemen Government’s stated readiness to reach an agreement to