No peace while Al Houthis continue to attack Yemenis, Saudis: US
New US ambassador to UN says diplomatic efforts to end war intensifying
Abu Dhabi: The Biden administration’s new United Nations ambassador affirmed there can be neither a ceasefire nor peace in Yemen if the Al Houthis continue their daily attacks against the Yemeni people, and attempts to target Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who took over the UN Security Council presidency for March, said her country was intensifying its diplomatic efforts to end the war in Yemen, as the US special envoy to Yemen Timothy Lenderking recently met with officials in the region, and he also met several times with Yemen’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and other key stakeholders, including European counterparts.
She indicated that the United States is working tirelessly, in full coordination with the UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths, to create the conditions for the parties to reach a ceasefire and end the conflict by negotiation.
Al Houthi attacks have continued unabated since December, when they tried to assassinate the new Yemeni government, and today, the Houthi attack in Marib killed more Yemeni men, women and children, she said.
Thomas-Greenfield expressed her grief over the lives lost in the March 7 fire at a migrant facility in Sana’a, and the unnecessary killing of dozens of migrants by the Al Houthis.
She demanded that Al Houthis stop killing and violence and accept an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, stressing that in the meantime, her country will continue to hold the Al Houthi leaders accountable.
Thomas-Greenfield added: “The Houthis are now threatening an irreversible disaster that delays the United Nations assessment and the initial reform of the oil tanker (SAFER). It is time for the Al Houthis to stop procrastinating, because if they delay more, they could destroy not only the environment, but the lives and livelihoods of an estimated four Millions of people, and we urge other countries to keep pressure on the Al Houthis to allow the assessment to proceed immediately.”
She also praised the UN Security Council’s decision to include Houthi Sultan Zaben within the framework of the United Nations sanctions system for monitoring and implementing detention, torture and sexual violence against women politically active women who oppose the Houthis, noting that her country’s delegation will continue to work with the Yemen Sanctions Committee to identify individuals and entities who meet the classification criteria.
At the end of her speech, Thomas-Greenfield issued an urgent appeal to fund a massive and worthwhile humanitarian response to stop the famine in Yemen, calling on regional donors in particular to contribute additional funding.