Yemen: As conflict drags on, 'no quick wins': UN envoy
Sep 11, 2021
New York [US], September 12 : The complexities of the years-long war in Yemen "multiply as the conflict drags on", the country's new UN envoy told the Security Council on Friday, adding that he was "under no illusions about the difficulty of the task" at hand.
"Enabling a resumption of a peaceful, inclusive, orderly and Yemeni-led political transition process that meets the legitimate demands and aspirations of the Yemeni people, as mandated by this Council, will not be easy. There are no quick wins", Special Envoy Hans Grundberg said in his inaugural briefing.
He painted a grim picture of six years of unabated armed conflict during which thousands of civilians have been killed, displaced, and impoverished as gender-based violence has surged significantly.
"From unrelenting violence to fuel and electricity shortages to surging food prices, every detail of daily life in Yemen is somehow tied to difficult political questions that demand a comprehensive resolution" he stated.
State institutions have split apart, he continued, hobbling the economy and leaving citizens and businesses to "navigate dizzying and often contradictory administrative requirements" and "economic warfare...is sowing devastating long-term consequences".
"Yemenis all over the country live with severe limitations on their freedom of movement and of the movement of essential goods due to ongoing fighting, checkpoints, road, port and airport restrictions."
The epicentre of the military confrontation has shifted, with regular violent flare-ups in the southern governates, accompanied by a deterioration in the economy and local services, said the senior official.
"The impact of the conflict on the diverse range of grievances and demands in the southern governorates cannot be ignored", he added. "Peace in Yemen will not be sustained in the long term if southern voices do not play a part in shaping it responsibly".
Moreover, the conflict is spilling across borders, threatening regional security and international waterways, including targeting civilians and infrastructure inside of Saudi Arabia.
"The fighting must stop, the violence has to come to an end," he underscored. "A peaceful and stable Yemen is essential for the stability of the entire region."
