In a new briefing to the Security Council, the UN envoy to Yemen Griffiths said that the ongoing war on Yemen will only end with the serious commitments of the leaders responsible for the war, and that the time has come to take final and required decisions to reach a joint declaration for the negotiations to bear fruit.
In his briefing, Griffiths expressed his concern about the escalation of the level of fighting from time to time, especially in the governorates of Ma’rib and Taiz, and the repeated violations, which destroyed homes, schools and hospitals in a number of Yemeni regions.
The UN envoy called on the parties to adhere to the obligations imposed on them by international law to protect civilian lives and civilian infrastructure. He added that the United Nations has been trying for months to find solutions to assess the status of the Safir tanker, carry out preliminary reforms and formulate recommendations on the necessary measures to avoid any oil spillage, indicating that talks about this are constructive, but no action has taken place yet.
Griffiths stressed the need for the success of the Riyadh agreement for the sake of the Yemenis, saying: We are in dire need of its success for the sake of the Yemenis and the south and for the sake of the peace process, calling on the Hadi government and the Southern Transitional Council to implement it urgently.
Griffiths pointed out that Yemen has reached a point where a decision must be taken. Because the Yemeni people are suffering, and the situation requires nothing less than a firm bet on peace, an end to the war, lifting the blockade, and the resumption of the quest for a political solution that includes everyone.
