UN Envoy Urges Restraint over Yemen, Region ‘Increasingly Precarious’

 14 June 2022, US, New York: Hans Grundberg, UN envoy, speaks at a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Yemen. (UN Photo/dpa)
14 June 2022, US, New York: Hans Grundberg, UN envoy, speaks at a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Yemen. (UN Photo/dpa)
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UN Envoy Urges Restraint over Yemen, Region ‘Increasingly Precarious’

 14 June 2022, US, New York: Hans Grundberg, UN envoy, speaks at a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Yemen. (UN Photo/dpa)
14 June 2022, US, New York: Hans Grundberg, UN envoy, speaks at a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Yemen. (UN Photo/dpa)

The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, on Saturday urged maximum restraint by all parties involved in Yemen and warned of an increasingly uncertain situation in the region.

The envoy "notes with serious concern the increasingly precarious regional context, and its adverse impact on peace efforts in Yemen and stability and security in the region," he said in a statement.  

He reiterated the Secretary-General’s call for all involved to avoid actions that would worsen the situation in Yemen, escalate the threat to maritime trade routes, or further fuel regional tensions at this critical time.  

He stressed the need to protect Yemeni civilians, and to safeguard the progress of peace efforts since the truce of April 2022.  

This includes the recent commitments by the parties in December 2023 and the ongoing discussions around a UN Roadmap that would operationalize a nationwide ceasefire, resume an inclusive political process under UN auspices, and address key priorities for the benefit of the Yemeni people.  

He urged "all involved to exercise maximum restraint and to prioritize diplomatic channels over military options," calling for de-escalation



US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
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US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)

The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel," Biden said in the memo.

"While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States."

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military assault in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.