United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called today, Tuesday, the parties to the conflict in Yemen for an immediate ceasefire and a return to negotiations with a view to reaching a political settlement to end the war.
In his testimony to the members of the UN Security Council - at its current session at the United Nations headquarters in New York - Guterres said, “I remain very concerned about the situation in Yemen, which is a local conflict that has become regional over time, as nearly 6 years of war have destroyed millions of lives. Yemenis, undermined confidence-building efforts in the region. "
Guterres said that last week brought a glimmer of hope after the Yemeni parties (the Yemeni government and the Houthis) took steps promising to release more than a thousand prisoners, in the largest prisoner exchange since the beginning of the conflict.
"It also appeared that the two parties are about to reach an agreement and follow up on their commitments," he said, pointing out in this regard that "the United Nations continues to facilitate negotiations between the Yemeni parties on the joint declaration."
The joint declaration includes - according to Guterres - a nationwide ceasefire, economic and humanitarian measures, and the resumption of the political process.
However, the Secretary-General of the United Nations added, "However, the security situation (in Yemen) remains fragile, and in recent weeks, we have witnessed an additional escalation of the conflict in the governorates of Al-Jawf, Marib and Al-Hodeidah, with the latter being a source of great concern because it risks undermining the Stockholm Agreement in 2018."
Humanitarian catastrophe
In a related context, the United Nations warned of the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Yemen, with the escalation of clashes in Hodeidah, Taiz and other places.
"The threat of hunger is escalating and threatening millions of Yemenis, with food prices increasing by 140% over average prices before the conflict," said FAO spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
He also warned of the possibility of closing more humanitarian programs in Yemen by the end of this year unless the necessary funding is provided, pointing to the reduction or suspension of 16 of the main United Nations programs in Yemen.
Dujarric added that the humanitarian response plan for Yemen was funded by only 42%, which is the lowest level of funding ever, as he put it.
He called on all donors to fulfill their commitments and increase support.
Since 2015, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have carried out military operations in Yemen in support of the pro-government forces, in the face of the Iran-backed Houthis.
The ongoing war for the sixth year left 112,000 dead, including 12,000 civilians, and 80% of Yemen’s population - about 30 million people - became dependent on aid, in the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the United Nations.