Battles continue raging in Marib (northern Yemen) between the internationally recognized government forces and the Houthi group to resolve control of the last government strongholds in the north of the country, while the United Nations envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths is discussing today, Tuesday, in Saudi Arabia a ceasefire and the resumption of political negotiations to resolve the crisis.

The spokesman for the Yemeni National Army, Brigadier General Abdo Majali, said that the army forces are carrying out offensive and defensive operations in response to the recent escalation of the Houthis in the Marib governorate.

In a press briefing, Brigadier General Majali accused the Houthi group of implementing an Iranian agenda led by the Iranian ambassador in Sanaa.

For 16 days, the Houthis have escalated their attacks in the Marib Governorate in order to control it, as it is the most important stronghold of the Yemeni government and the main headquarters of the Ministry of Defense, in addition to its enjoyment of oil and gas wealth.

Reuters quoted military sources and a local official yesterday, Monday, that hundreds of fighters from the legitimate forces and the Houthis were killed in the Houthi attack on Marib, in the fiercest clashes during the conflict since 2018.

The same sources added that the Houthis may have lost more fighters than the government during the current offensive, due to the air superiority enjoyed by the coalition forces that support government forces.

Displaced people from Ma'rib

The Executive Unit for the Management of Displaced Persons Camps in Yemen (affiliated with the government) said today that more than 1,500 families have been displaced in the last two weeks due to the escalation of fighting in Marib.

In a report, the unit stated that 90% of families were displaced from Sarwah district, more than 4.6% from Bani Dabyan District, and 5% from Ragwan District.

US House Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks said he is watching with concern the renewed fighting in Marib.

The House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee stated in a tweet that the United Nations highlighted the danger threatening nearly two million people as a result of the Marib attack, and that the time has come to return to negotiations, and not to expand the war.

The International Crisis Group also warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in Marib in light of the Houthi attack on the governorate and their advance to the outskirts of the city.

The group said that the battle for Marib will not only be long and devastating, but will also exacerbate the already tragic humanitarian situation, and herald the worst famine in contemporary history.

And it warned that any attack on Marib would expose its 800,000 residents to the risk of death and displacement, as well as cut off a number of vital roads, and extensive and inevitable damage to the oil installations in the governorate.

The group called on the international community to move quickly to establish a truce in Marib, similar to the 2018 Hodeidah truce.

The UN envoy to Yemen will meet in Saudi Arabia with Yemeni and Saudi officials to discuss the resumption of political negotiations (Reuters)

Griffiths visit

On the political front, the UN envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, began a visit to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to discuss means of a ceasefire in Yemen.

United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that Griffiths' visit comes within the framework of his efforts to reach a comprehensive ceasefire in Yemen, alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people, and return the war parties to political negotiations.

The United Nations News website added that Griffiths is expected to meet in the next few days with Yemeni and Saudi officials and diplomats, without giving further details in this regard.

In the same context, a spokesman for the US State Department said that Washington puts Yemen a top priority, given the humanitarian and security situation and the geostrategic effects of the conflict, and it wants to end the war there.

It is noteworthy that Yemen has been witnessing a war for 7 years, and it has claimed the lives of more than 233,000 people, and 80% of the population - amounting to 30 million - depend on aid.