Gulf Arab approval for Yemen ceasefire pledges, UN-led peace efforts
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The UN's special envoy Hans Grundberg had recently announced efforts to end the prolonged conflict.
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Ansar Allah supporters chant slogans as they attend a rally marking eight years for a Saudi-led coalition, Friday, March 26, 2023, in Sanaa, Yemen. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)
Gulf Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, expressed on Monday approval for the renewed pledges made by the conflicting parties in Yemen to initiate actions leading to a ceasefire and participate in a UN-mediated peace initiative.
The declarations made by the UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg represent the most recent endeavor to bring an end to years of conflict. With hundreds of thousands of lives either lost directly in combat or due to indirect factors like food scarcity, the toll of the war underscores what the UN has labeled as one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises.
The war-torn country has been embroiled in conflict since 2014. Ansar Allah's capture of the capital Sanaa prompted a military intervention led by Saudi Arabia in the subsequent year to aid Yemen's Western-backed government.
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In April 2022, a ceasefire brokered by the UN resulted in a significant decline in hostilities. Although the truce concluded in October of the same year, ongoing fighting has generally been subdued.
Saudi Arabia, in a statement, expressed its approval of the UN's announcement on Saturday regarding a "roadmap to support the path of peace."
The Foreign Ministry of Riyadh urged the conflicting parties in Yemen to "sit at the dialogue table, to reach a comprehensive and lasting political solution under the auspices of the" United Nations.
Oman, serving as a mediator in the conflict, expressed a positive stance, expressing the hope that a deal "will be signed as soon as possible."
The UAE which is also part of the coalition praised the efforts made to facilitate an agreement on the roadmap.
Qatar, a fellow member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, extended gratitude to the United Nations, Saudi Arabia, and Oman for their efforts in advancing peace. Qatar urged the conflicting parties to expedite the process and reach an agreement.
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However, the conflicting parties in Yemen continue to be divided on several issues, including Ansar Allah's operations on Israeli-linked vessels in the Red Sea, showing solidarity with the people of Gaza.
In a statement on Monday, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government issued a warning about the dangers and internal consequences stemming from the resistance's drone and missile attacks.
Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani, on the platform formerly known as Twitter, emphasized that such attacks "will lead to an increase in food prices in a country suffering from a humanitarian crisis." He also highlighted the surge in insurance premiums for ships navigating the critical waterway.
