UN Ambassador Goes to Yemen for New Talks

The UN Ambassador for Yemen traveled to Sanaa on Wednesday, August 3, to conduct new talks with the rebels. At the same time, government forces and their supporters have threatened to resume attacks on the port of Hodeidah if these negotiations fail. The government forces and the Saudi-led military coalition claim they have temporarily halted attacks on Hodeidah to facilitate peace talks mediated by the UN. Martin Griffiths has been working for weeks to resume negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The Yemeni government states that the Houthi rebels must withdraw from the port of Hodeidah before peace talks can resume and emphasizes that the city must be under government control. A senior Yemeni official stated that the government accepts the presence of international observers in Hodeidah to 'monitor the management of the port and the transfer of its financial revenues to the central bank, which is under government control.' The Yemeni government and its supporters warn that if these negotiations fail, attacks on Hodeidah will resume, raising concerns about the port's operational halt and worsening conditions for the people. A Yemeni military official told AFP, 'Our forces are ready to launch an attack on Hodeidah if this UN mission fails.' Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the rebels, stated in an interview with Le Figaro last week that he is willing to hand over control of Hodeidah to the UN if government forces stop their offensive. Martin Griffiths arrived in Sanaa on Wednesday afternoon and went to his residence without speaking to reporters. He had discussions with Yemeni government officials in Riyadh on Sunday, where they called for the release of prisoners and captives. About 70% of Yemen's imports are unloaded at the port of Hodeidah. It is estimated that around 8 million people in Yemen are at risk of famine. The Houthi rebels seized this port on the Red Sea coast, as well as Sanaa, the capital, and a large part of Yemen's territory in 2014. The Yemeni government and the Saudi-led military coalition accuse the Houthi rebels of receiving their smuggled weapons through this port. Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries in this military coalition have been involved in this civil war with the aim of pushing back the Houthis and restoring the government to Yemen. Since their intervention and the escalation of the war in Yemen, about 10,000 people, including 2,200 children, have been killed.