Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik discussed on Wednesday with US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking the consequences of the dangerous military escalation by the Iran-backed Houthi militias in the governorates of Marib, Shabwah and Lahj.
The escalation coincided with the Yemeni parliament approving preparations for holding sessions in Seiyun, the second largest city in the Hadramout governorate.
Parliament is seeking to activate its oversight and legislative role after it had suspended activities since April 2019.
Meeting in Riyadh, Abdulmalik and Lenderking addressed the international community’s approach for handling Houthi escalation in Yemen, the militias’ nonstop attacks on civilians and refugees in Marib, and their continued rejection of all peace initiatives.
The prime minister said the Houthis need to face the consequences of continuing to “fuel the conflict, launch persistent attacks on civilians in the country, especially the internally displaced persons in Marib, and reject all peace initiatives.”
He urged the international community to exert more “effective” pressure on the militias, the official news agency SABA said.
The prime minister said he looked forward to seeing “a firm stance towards these militias by the international community and the UN.”
Abdulmalik criticized the international community for not condemning the Houthis for obstructing UN experts from visiting FSO Safer, the eroding oil tanker in the Red Sea, which could cause a significant environmental disaster if it is left unrepaired.
“The UN has been negotiating with the Houthis over the Safer tanker for years with no progress, although we have provided all facilitations and accepted all solutions to avoid the imminent and devastating catastrophe,” he remarked.
SABA reported that the US envoy renewed his government’s support for the Yemeni government and its efforts to implement the Riyadh Agreement and mitigate the economic impact of the war. He urged the Houthis to cease their offensive on Marib.