Aden, Sana’a (Al-Ittihad, Agencies)
Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik asked the United Nations to support his government’s efforts to deal with the humanitarian crisis, and to support its plans to ensure food security and supplies of basic materials in light of the current global crisis in food supplies and prices. During a virtual meeting held yesterday evening with the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths, the Yemeni Prime Minister called on the international community to provide preferential benefits to Yemeni wheat importers to access global wheat markets.
He also called for supporting the government’s plans to establish a special emergency fund to finance imports, which would help reduce the current global repercussions on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, which he said “harbines a real catastrophe if it is not averted.”
Abdul-Malik referred to the existing human suffering in light of the Houthi terrorist militia’s continued war against the Yemeni people and its repudiation of agreements and obligations to alleviate this suffering, the latest of which is the failure to implement the requirements of the UN armistice, its refusal to lift the siege on Taiz and the non-payment of employee salaries, according to what was reported by the official Yemeni News Agency. The Yemeni prime minister touched on the prospects for the success of the UN armistice and its extension, and the government’s continued keenness to support the efforts of the United Nations to reach a political solution in accordance with agreed references, and its willingness to deal positively with all initiatives that would end the war and restore peace and stability. He said: “The priority is to press for the completion of the implementation of the terms of the armistice, the lifting of the brutal siege on the city of Taiz and the opening of vital roads between the main cities, which multiply the human suffering of civilians, and that the true meaning of the armistice is what the civilian senses in alleviating his human suffering.” Abdul Malik also confirmed that there are ongoing discussions to complete the final procedures for the arrival of economic support provided to Yemen by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and the government’s keenness to employ this support in a sustainable manner to stabilize the economic situation and alleviate human suffering.
In turn, the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Humanitarian Affairs affirmed that Yemen is at the top of the United Nations humanitarian priorities, and his concern over the repercussions of the crisis resulting from the current global developments on food security.
Griffiths pointed out that the truce in Yemen is a positive development by all accounts, and it is important for its complete success.
In another context, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, stressed the importance of focusing on ensuring the extension of the humanitarian truce that entered into force in early April for a period of two months, in a manner that benefits Yemeni civilians.
This came at the conclusion of his meeting yesterday evening, with a variety of Yemeni public figures.
A statement issued by the Office of the UN Envoy stated that this meeting comes within the consultations that the Special Envoy is holding with various Yemeni groups on moving forward and exploring their priorities for economic, political and security tracks.
The participants discussed the issue of implementing and extending the truce, as well as ways to build on the momentum of the truce to launch a comprehensive political dialogue.
“I am grateful for this opportunity to consult with a diverse group of Yemeni personalities and distinguished experts at this pivotal moment,” Grundberg said.
“This is the time when we should seize the opportunity presented by the truce, and focus on ensuring that the truce is extended to the benefit of Yemeni civilians while we make progress in the political process,” he added.
The participants focused on the need to continue giving priority to improving the living conditions and livelihoods of civilians, including by lifting restrictions on the freedom of movement of individuals and commercial goods throughout Yemen, according to the statement.
They also stressed the need to focus on the Yemeni economy and the challenges associated with the payment of salaries, bank transfer procedures, the discrepancy in currency exchange rates, and the unification of the central bank.
The discussions also highlighted the need to address the challenges facing Yemeni women and ensure their true participation in the peace process.
The discussions also touched on the critical necessity of taking an inclusive approach to the political process in a manner that reflects the diversity of political life in Yemen.
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