Having embarked on his third trip to the Middle East since being appointed as Washington’s special envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking is pressing for a final settlement that ends the war-torn country’s political deadlock and humanitarian crisis.
Halting the ongoing Houthi military escalation in the oil-rich governorate of Marib, where thousands of refugees have sought safety from violence, currently figures high on his list of priorities.
The US envoy kickstarted his latest tour in the Gulf state of Oman, where he is expected to meet Houthi representatives. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths has also arrived in the Omani capital, Muscat.
Griffiths and Lenderking had separately met with Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed and Foreign Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak in Riyadh before heading to Oman.
“Yemeni Foreign Minister bin Mubarak and US Envoy to Yemen Lenderking discussed the need to cease the Houthi assault on Marib in order to move to political negotiations, open humanitarian access and end the conflict,” tweeted the State Department’s Near Eastern Affairs bureau.
As for Lenderking’s visit to Oman, State Department Spokesperson Jalina Porter said that it was going to be the envoy’s first stop on a regional trip, but failed to confirm if he had met with Houthi representatives.
Speaking at a press briefing, Porter said that Lenderking was in the region in coordination with Griffiths.
“This is going to be an ongoing joint discussion on our international efforts to promote peace and a lasting ceasefire in Yemen, and again, an inclusive peace agreement as well as to address our efforts of the country’s dire humanitarian crisis,” said Porter.
Savage fighting in the country's north and around the strategic governorate of Marib has thrown up yet another barrier for peace efforts in Yemen and made the delivery of humanitarian aid to the country’s needy very difficult.
A source close to the UN efforts told AFP that the initiative for a ceasefire is effectively on hold until the battle raging outside the city of Marib is won or lost.
The Iran-backed Houthis are throwing everything they have at the fight for the capital of an oil-rich region, sustaining heavy casualties as a price worth paying for the last piece of the north that the government still controls.
The battle is “holding back the negotiations ... because the Houthis want to see how far they can go,” said the source.
“Tragically, and somewhat confusingly for me, it appears that the Houthis are prioritizing a military campaign to take Marib over ... suspending the war and moving relief to the Yemeni people,” it added.
