Bahsani: Yemen’s Presidential Council will Seek to Achieve Stability in North, South

 Major General Faraj Salmin al-Bahsani, member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council
Major General Faraj Salmin al-Bahsani, member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council
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Bahsani: Yemen’s Presidential Council will Seek to Achieve Stability in North, South

 Major General Faraj Salmin al-Bahsani, member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council
Major General Faraj Salmin al-Bahsani, member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council

Major General Faraj Salmin al-Bahsani, member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, confirmed that the council will lead the stage in the North and the South towards stability, calling for placing the national project above any other considerations.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Bahsani noted that a draft roadmap was currently being discussed and included a first phase of six months to stabilize the ceasefire, then a preparation stage of three months, followed by a transitional phase that extends over two years to discuss the form of the state.

He also stressed that Saudi Arabia was leading the process of rapprochement between the Yemeni legitimacy and the Houthi group, based on good neighborliness and brotherhood between the two countries, expressing his confidence that the Kingdom would continue to stand by the Presidential Leadership Council and the legitimate government.

Bahsani said, however, that the proposed draft peace map “collided at the beginning with the intransigence of the Houthi militia, which practices the Iranian method of procrastination.”

“These militias do not care about ending the war or the suffering of the people through regional and international opportunities to bring peace to Yemen. All they want from the war and the coup against the state is to control the institutions and seize power,” he underlined.

According to Bahsani, the most important axes of “the draft peace map include a first phase of six months, in which the ceasefire is established and other measures are taken without the militia’s intervention.”

Those measures seek to facilitate commercial activity and the citizens’ movement in areas controlled by the Houthis.

“As for the second phase, it will last for three months, during which the plans and programs for the transitional phase will be prepared,” he underlined.

The member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council stated that Saudi Arabia was leading the process of rapprochement between the legitimacy and the Houthis, pointing out that neither the council nor the legitimate government participated in any direct dialogues with the Houthi militia.

He also stressed that the Saudi-Iranian agreement signed on March 10 will reflect positively on major regional files, including Yemen.

“Saudi Arabia puts all its diplomatic weight to solve this file with the Republic of Iran and to stop Tehran’s backing of the Houthi militia,” Bahsani told Asharq Al-Awsat, adding that the Houthis used this support “to kill the Yemeni people and tamper with the stability of the region as a whole, not just Yemen.”

The member of the Presidential Leadership Council emphasized that the war was not over yet, and that the Yemeni army was ready for the worst possibilities if the Houthis insisted on a new round of fighting.

With regards to the peace efforts led by Saudi Arabia, the UN envoy and a number of “brotherly and friendly” countries that took place during the past years, the Houthi group has constantly renounced these agreements, Bahsani said.

“This is what made the legitimacy demand guarantees for the implementation of any future agreements,” he added.

The Yemeni official expressed his doubts over the commitment of the Houthi group to the peace map. On the other hand, he noted that the structure of the state and the fate of the Yemenis will be decided in the North and the South during the upcoming arrangements.

“Thus, it will be a great responsibility for the brothers in the North to get rid of these militias and their weapons, and as southerners, we will be supportive of any role in this regard,” he remarked.

According to Bahsani, the Presidencial Council was able to complete many achievements since its formation, mainly restructuring and reactivating the judiciary, reviving efforts to advance the peace process and consolidate stability in the liberated governorates, and addressing many issues within the military.



FAO Official: Gulf States Shielded Themselves from Major Shocks

 David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
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FAO Official: Gulf States Shielded Themselves from Major Shocks

 David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), told Asharq al-Awsat that global hunger increased sharply during the coronavirus pandemic, noting that the GCC countries were able to shield themselves from major shocks affecting food security.
Laborde added that global hunger affected over 152 million people, with no improvement in the past two years.
Today, 733 million people suffer from chronic hunger, and 2.3 billion face food insecurity, according to the UN annual report on “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World.”

Laborde explained that the global economic crisis has worsened food insecurity, keeping hunger levels high.
Alongside this, climate shocks and conflicts are major causes of hunger. He also pointed out that food insecurity is closely tied to inequality, and the economic crisis, rising living costs, and high interest rates are deepening existing inequalities both within and between countries.
On whether economic diversification in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is boosting food security, Laborde said: “A move towards a more diversified economy and enhancing the ability to rely on various sources of food supplies are key drivers of food security resilience and stability.”
“GCC countries have managed to shield themselves from major shocks, primarily due to their high income levels and ability to cover import costs without difficulty,” he explained.
Regarding the FAO’s outlook on reducing global hunger, Laborde insisted that ending hunger will require a significant increase in funding.
When asked for suggestions on how governments could enhance food security, Laborde said: “Despite global figures remaining stable, improvements are seen in Asia and Latin America, showing that the right policies and conditions can reduce numbers.”
“Hunger is not inevitable. Investing in social safety nets to protect the poor, along with making structural changes to food systems to be more environmentally friendly, resilient, and equitable, is the right path forward,” emphasized Laborde.
The annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, published on Wednesday, said about 733 million people faced hunger in 2023 – one in 11 people globally and one in five in Africa.
Hunger and food insecurity present critical challenges affecting millions globally.
The annual report, released this year during the G20 Global Alliance for Hunger and Poverty Task Force ministerial meeting in Brazil, warns that the world is significantly lagging in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2—ending hunger by 2030.
It highlights that global progress has regressed by 15 years, with malnutrition levels comparable to those seen in 2008-2009.
Despite some progress in areas like stunting and exclusive breastfeeding, a troubling number of people still face food insecurity and malnutrition, with global hunger levels rising.