(United Nations) UN envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg on Tuesday warned of the risk of an urban war in Marib, stressing that the conflict there between Houthi rebels and loyalists backed by Saudi Arabia had “stepped up considerably”.
He said at a monthly meeting of the UN Security Council devoted to Yemen, “concerned about the possibility of an urban war” in Marib, “which would have terrible consequences for civilians”.
The fighting has “intensified” throughout the country and especially in this city, where the Houthis are renewing “their efforts to seize the city and the oil fields of the governorate” and where the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia is increasing. “Its airstrikes in support of the government of Yemen,” said Hans Grundberg.
“Protect civilians”
He added to see “an increasing number of prisoners taken by the belligerents”.
There is a risk that this will open a new chapter in the even more fragmented and bloody war in Yemen.
UN envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg
He called for “de-escalation and (some) immediate measures to protect civilians”.
He also indicated that he was considering, without giving further details, launching “an inclusive political process managed by the Yemenis and supported by the international community”.
“Military escalation must not be able to stop this process” and “the belligerents can and must talk to each other even if they are not ready to lay down their arms”, he said.
According to the UN, the war that has lasted for seven years will have caused the death of 377,000 people, both direct and indirect, by the end of 2021. The conflict, which has also displaced millions of people, has led to more than 80% of the population of around 30 million people depend on international aid in this country which, according to the UN, is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.