New Laws of Commercial Registration and Trade Names take effect on Thursday    Civil Defense warns of heavy rains across Saudi Arabia until Monday    Saudi Exchange suspends trading of seven companies over financial disclosure delays    New fleet of 76 public transport buses starts operation in Jeddah on Tuesday Environmentally friendly electric buses introduced for first time    Foreign investors are allowed to engage in real estate business outside Makkah and Madinah Commercial speculation should not be the purpose of real estate transaction    EU preparing 'further countermeasures' to protect its interest, von der Leyen says    Tesla sales plunge after backlash against Elon Musk    Musk's X is suing India, as Tesla and Starlink plan entry    Israel announces expansion of military operation in Gaza to seize 'large areas' of land    US cancels visa of Nobel Peace Prize winner Oscar Arias    Danish prime minister refutes US claim on Greenland on visit to the Arctic territory    Aubameyang fires Al Qadsiah into King's Cup final with stoppage-time winner over Al Raed    Cristiano Ronaldo joins Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves    Saudi Arabia welcomes trilateral border treaty between Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan    Swedish table tennis legend Jörgen Persson appointed head coach of Saudi national team    Danilo Pereira fires Al Ittihad into King's Cup final with dramatic stoppage-time double    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Mexico bans junk food in schools to fight childhood obesity epidemic    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Saudi creatives shine at Jeddah's Fawanees Nights with art, fashion, and storytelling    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



UN envoy warns of ‘dramatic' deterioration in Yemen conflict
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 17 - 03 - 2021

The UN's top official in Yemen has warned of a "dramatic" deterioration in the country's ongoing conflict, telling the Security Council on Tuesday that fighting has expanded on several fronts amid the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Special Envoy Martin Griffiths reported that "the war is back in full force", with Ansar Allah, commonly referred to as the Houthis, continuing an offensive in Marib.
The northern governorate had previously been relatively unaffected in the fighting, now in its seventh year, but the violence is putting civilians, including more than one million displaced people, at risk.
"Fighting forces on both sides have suffered heavy losses in this unnecessary battle. I see shocking reports, as I am sure we all do, of children increasingly getting drawn into the war effort and deprived of their future," he said.
Meanwhile, new fronts have opened, with fighting escalating in Hajjah, Taiz and Hodeidah. Cross-border attacks against civilian and commercial sites in Saudi Arabia have also increased in recent weeks, followed by airstrikes in the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa.
Silence the guns
The Special Envoy told the virtual meeting that even as the conflict intensifies, fuel shortages persist, contributing to a rise in the cost of basic commodities and impacting hospitals and other services.
He stressed that given the links between the war and the humanitarian crisis, it is incumbent on the warring parties to stop fighting now more than ever.
"A nationwide ceasefire, along with the opening of Sanaa airport and ensuring the unhindered flow of fuel and other commodities into Yemen through Hodeidah ports, are urgent humanitarian imperatives," he said.
"These measures will ease the impact of the conflict on civilians, will facilitate Yemenis' right to freedom of movement and it is clear we must do all we can to allow Yemen to survive, to give it a chance under these circumstances."
Griffiths added another priority: resumption of the inclusive political process, as the parties can only resolve their differences through negotiation.
"We know that without a resolution of those differences, without a political settlement, there will be no sustainable defeat of humanitarian problems."
‘Speeding towards a massive famine'
UN Humanitarian Coordinator Mark Lowcock reminded ambassadors that Yemen is "speeding towards a massive famine" as resources dwindle. Although $1.7 billion was raised at a donor conference last month, the figure is less than half of what is required for operations this year.
Lowcock urged action to address the economic collapse that has also been a major driver in instability, by strengthening the national currency and resolving the blockade of commercial imports.
He noted that the government has blocked all commercial fuel imports to Hodeidah, through which more than half of Yemen's fuel imports come, since January.
"Right now, there are 13 fuel ships waiting outside Hodeidah, carrying enough supplies for two months. On average, these ships have been waiting more than 80 days for government clearance," he said, adding that the vessels have all been inspected and cleared by the UN verification mechanism.
Find a way forward
Lowcock joined the UN Special Envoy in calling for an independent investigation into the deadly fire at a detention center last week in Sanaa that killed dozens of migrants and injured more than 170 others. He also underlined the need for progress towards peace.
"And I again repeat that the renewed US commitment to a diplomatic solution and the US focus on the humanitarian tragedy in Yemen does provide the best opportunity we have seen in years to resolve the conflict and get the parties to the table and find the way forward for the people in the country. And that's still true despite the recent escalation," said Lowcock.
"But that opportunity needs to be taken. It would not be possible to take it if Yemen tips into huge famine. So, we have to stop the famine." — UN News


Clic here to read the story from its source.