Grundberg in Riyadh... Al-Alimi Asks for Pressure on the Houthis

The head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council meets in Riyadh with the UN envoy. (Saba)
The head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council meets in Riyadh with the UN envoy. (Saba)
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Grundberg in Riyadh... Al-Alimi Asks for Pressure on the Houthis

The head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council meets in Riyadh with the UN envoy. (Saba)
The head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council meets in Riyadh with the UN envoy. (Saba)

UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg, began his visit to Riyadh, on Wednesday, with a meeting with the head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, within the framework of international and regional efforts aimed at finding a comprehensive solution to the country’s crisis.
Official Yemeni sources reported that Al-Alimi asked the UN envoy to exert more pressure on the Houthis, to push them towards peace in accordance with international resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 2216.
Saba news agency reported that Grundberg briefed the Yemeni official about his recent coordinated contacts with Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, and the international community to resume a comprehensive Yemeni political process under the auspices of the United Nations.
The agency added that the meeting touched on developments in the country, including Saudi mediation for a comprehensive ceasefire that aims to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people and revive the peace path in accordance with its national, regional and international references.
The president of the Leadership Council confirmed the government’s support for the efforts of the United Nations, and the mandate and tasks of its special envoy related to the implementation of Security Council resolutions, in particular Resolution 2216.
Al-Alimi stressed the need to exert maximum pressure on the Houthi militias and push them towards seriously engaging with the ongoing efforts to renew the truce, expand its humanitarian benefits, and achieve the aspirations of the Yemeni people to restore state institutions, security, stability and development.
In addition, the office of the UN envoy to Yemen announced that it met with Saudi Ambassador Mohammed Al Jaber, who is also the general supervisor of the Saudi program for the development and reconstruction of Yemen. The office stated that the meeting came “to discuss the progress of peace mediation efforts and the importance of maintaining concerted regional support.”



Iraq's Population Reaches 45.4 Million in First Census in over 30 Years

Workers prepare to collect information from the public as Iraq began its first nationwide population census in decades, in Baghdad, Iraq Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP)
Workers prepare to collect information from the public as Iraq began its first nationwide population census in decades, in Baghdad, Iraq Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP)
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Iraq's Population Reaches 45.4 Million in First Census in over 30 Years

Workers prepare to collect information from the public as Iraq began its first nationwide population census in decades, in Baghdad, Iraq Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP)
Workers prepare to collect information from the public as Iraq began its first nationwide population census in decades, in Baghdad, Iraq Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP)

Iraq's population has risen to 45.4 million, according to preliminary results from a national census, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said on Monday.
The census, conducted on Nov. 20, was Iraq's first nationwide survey in more than three decades, marking a crucial step for future planning and development.
Prior to the census, the planning ministry estimated the population at 43 million.
The last census, conducted in 1997, did not include the Iraqi Kurdistan region, which has been under Kurdish administration since the 1991 Gulf War.
It counted 19 million Iraqis and officials estimated there were another 3 million in the Kurdish north, according to official statistics.