UN envoy urges Yemeni parties to build on progress and take decisive steps

Hans Grundberg says he is concerned over the government's inability to export oil, which generated more than half of total state revenue last year

Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy for Yemen, speaks during a news conference after talks with Houthi officials. EPA

The UN’s envoy to Yemen on Wednesday urged parties involved in the country's conflict to build on progress and take decisive steps towards a peaceful and comprehensive solution.

Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on recent peace efforts, Hans Grundberg said he was encouraged by the positive and detailed discussions he had with Yemeni parties and regional interlocutors.

Despite some challenges, there was room for “cautious optimism”, he said.

Last year's “truce provided a conducive environment and starting point”, Mr Grundberg said.

“But the fragility of the military situation, the dire state of the economy and the daily challenges facing the Yemeni people provide us with constant reminders of why a more comprehensive agreement between the parties is so vital.”

He also expressed concern over reports of continuing violence across front lines, restrictions on freedom of movement and the government's inability to export oil, which generated more than half of the state's total revenue last year, and “is straining the government’s capacity to meet its obligations to the Yemeni people”.

The UAE’s ambassador to the UN, Lana Nusseibeh called on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels to engage constructively and lay the groundwork for an enduring peace.

“It has become evident that dialogue remains the sole path to achieving a political settlement," Ms Nusseibeh said.

"A belligerent stance and reliance on armed coercion are not only unacceptable, but also detrimental to the welfare of the Yemeni people."

US ambassador for special political affairs Jeffrey DeLaurentis said an inclusive political process should address Yemenis' calls for justice, accountability and redress for human rights abuses.

“As we have said before, this is the only way to achieve a lasting peace in Yemen,” he said.

Britain’s UN ambassador Barbara Woodward addressed the threat posed to Yemen and the region by the deteriorating FSO Safer oil tanker and reminded council members that as much as 80 per cent of the Yemen funding appeal remains unmet.

She said $43 million is still needed for the UN co-ordinated oil tanker’s removal to stop the risk of “over a million barrels of oil leaking into the Red Sea”.