Martin Griffiths, the UN special envoy to Yemen, insisted on Wednesday that a three-week-long ceasefire in Hodeidah was largely holding up but hinted that new peace talks may be delayed.
Mr Griffiths told the UN Security Council that both Yemen's internationally-recognised government and the leader of the country's Houthi rebels had assured him in recent days that they remain committed to the truce, despite reports of clashes in the Red Sea port city.
But although violence has fallen markedly in Hodeidah the war is continuing across the country and more has to be done before further negotiations take place, the UN envoy said in a briefing.
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UAE says UN must hold Houthis to peace commitments in Yemen
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"Both sides have largely adhered to the ceasefire and there has been a significant decrease in hostilities," Mr Griffiths said of the agreement which came into force on December 18, a week after a first round of peace talks took place in Sweden.
"Unfortunately, there has been some violence, including in Hodeidah city and in the southern districts of the governorate. However, the violence is very limited to what we saw in the weeks before the Stockholm consultations," he added, speaking to the Council from Amman via video link.
Although a small advance team of United Nations observers, thought to number around a dozen, are in Hodeidah to monitor the ceasefire the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is said to want this number to rise to 75. A new Security Council resolution is being prepared to make that happen.
Mr Griffiths said that while the Hodeidah ceasefire had made a tangible difference its practicalities were still being worked on by Patrick Cammaert, the former Dutch General appointed by the UN to enforce the truce, who arrived in Yemen on December 22.
"He is working with the parties on the details of the redeployments of forces, provision of security in the city and the opening of humanitarian access routes agreed in Stockholm," Mr Griffiths said of Mr Cammaert.
The sporadic violence still affecting Hodeidah has put pressure on the UN over whether the peace process can produce a lasting income to the war that broke out between Yemen's government and the Houthis in 2015. Kuwait has been mooted as a venue for a second round of talks to take place early this year.
But Mr Griffiths appeared to be cautious about such a timeline.
"There is a lot of work that needs to be done before the parties can reach a comprehensive peace agreement," he said. "We need to convene the next round but we need substantive progress on what was agreed in Stockholm.
"Otherwise the next round will only be a forum to discuss achievements of round one," he said of new negotiations.
Mr Griffiths met Yemeni Prime Minister Abdrabu Mansur Hadi in Riyadh on Tuesday, having earlier travelled to Sanaa for talks with rebel leader Abdelmalik Al-Houthi.
"They have both expressed their determination to find a way forward on all of their commitments, and to build further on the progress made through a subsequent round of consultations," Mr Griffiths told the Council.
Yemen's government, however, has accused the Houthis of endangering the deal. Yemen's Foreign Minister, Khalid Al Yamani, said Houthi rebels are continuing to consolidate their forces in the port city in violation of the agreement.
UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash on Wednesday urged the UN to take a firm stance against the Houthis over the ceasefire. "The Security Council meeting today is vital, the UN must be clear and firm towards the Houthis commitment to withdraw from Hodeidah," he wrote on Twitter.
Following Mr Griffiths' comments to the Council, he received support from Britain and France over his efforts to curtail the fighting in Yemen and bring an end to the war.
The ceasefire is regarded as the most significant step towards ending the conflict that has created a humanitarian crisis where two-thirds of the population is dependent on humanitarian aid.
The Stockholm agreement stipulates that armed forces from both sides must withdraw Hodeidah's three ports, the entry point for most of the aid and food shipped to Yemen, followed by a withdrawal from the city and the rest of the province. Local forces will then take control of the city and ports, but they will remain under UN supervision.
UN officials have said there has not yet been a substantial improvement in the humanitarian situation. On Wednesday, Mark Lowcock, the UN's emergency relief coordinator, said Yemeni civilians were "a little more confident and a little less afraid that they will be victims of air strikes or caught in crossfire as they go about their lives" but it was "very early days" on the road towards peace.
"I cannot yet report to you that the wider humanitarian situation in Yemen is any better. It remains catastrophic," he told the Security Council.
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ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
Six tips to secure your smart home
Most smart home devices are controlled via the owner's smartphone. Therefore, if you are using public wi-fi on your phone, always use a VPN (virtual private network) that offers strong security features and anonymises your internet connection.
Keep your smart home devices’ software up-to-date. Device makers often send regular updates - follow them without fail as they could provide protection from a new security risk.
Use two-factor authentication so that in addition to a password, your identity is authenticated by a second sign-in step like a code sent to your mobile number.
Set up a separate guest network for acquaintances and visitors to ensure the privacy of your IoT devices’ network.
Change the default privacy and security settings of your IoT devices to take extra steps to secure yourself and your home.
Always give your router a unique name, replacing the one generated by the manufacturer, to ensure a hacker cannot ascertain its make or model number.
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
The years Ramadan fell in May
THE SPECS
Aston Martin Rapide AMR
Engine: 6.0-litre V12
Transmission: Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic
Power: 595bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh999,563
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