Russia calls for lifting food restrictions on Yemen

Dmitry Polyansky, the first deputy of the Russian Federation's Permanent Representative to the UN, welcomed on Tuesday the Yemeni-Yemeni agreement to extend the truce for another two months.

After thanking the United Nations' special envoy, Hans Grundberg, for his role in facilitating the truce, Polyansky pledged Russia's continued support for him, adding that it is necessary to fulfill all the provisions of the agreed-upon truce while refraining from "unilateral provocation" to bring about a comprehensive political settlement.

On May 5, the Spokesperson for the Yemeni Civil Aviation Authority, Mazen Ghanem, said the failure of the Saudi-led coalition to abide by the terms of the UN-brokered armistice, including the opening of Sanaa airport, "caused the death of a number of patients who were scheduled to travel on the first commercial flight from the airport to the capital of Jordan, Amman."

Polyansky also expressed regret that the negotiations to reopen the roads in Taiz have not led to the expected results, calling on all parties to find the "common denominator" in order to reach a solution to relieve the problems of the Yemeni people, expressing concern about the socioeconomic situation in Yemen and stressing that it is necessary to lift restrictions on the delivery of food, medicine, and other goods all across Yemen.

On June 2, the UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, announced that the Sanaa government and the Saudi-led coalition had responded positively to the UN proposal to renew the armistice in force in Yemen for two additional months. 

Grundberg said in a press statement that "the renewed armistice will enter into force when the current armistice expires on June 2, 2022, at 7 pm Yemen time," adding, "I will work with the parties to implement and consolidate the elements of the armistice in full and move towards a sustainable political solution that meets the aspirations and demands of Yemenis."