The United Nations' top official in Yemen warned Monday that the country will remain a powder keg for renewed war unless its rival factions work out a new cease-fire deal.
Hans Grundberg, the UN special representative for Yemen, told The Associated Press the situation in the conflict-stricken country is fragile nearly a year after the legitimate government and the Iranian-backed Houthi militias failed to renew a UN-brokered ceasefire.
The conflict has been restrained since then, with only sporadic clashes, but Grundberg said a resumption of all-out fighting is a threat.
“The risk of a flare-up is always there,” he said. “The situation remains fragile and will remain fragile until we have reached an agreement that offers a ceasefire agreement.”
The end to the ceasefire arrangement was a blow to UN efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the conflict, which has devastated the country and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.
Yemen’s war began when the Houthis seized the capital of Sanaa in 2014, forcing the government to flee to the south and then into exile in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking after meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo, Grundberg noted Yemen's warring parties have separately been involved in peace efforts in recent months, but he said more effort is needed to establish a firm nationwide ceasefire and restart political talks on ending the conflict.
The envoy welcomed international and regional efforts to end the conflict. He said such efforts would help the UN to craft a proposal for a nationwide ceasefire and the start of political talks between Yemeni factions to end the war.
“There is a unity among the international actors on the need for the Yemeni conflict to be resolved, and also about the fact that the United Nations is the main the mediator,” Grundberg said.
