Norwegian Refugee Council Urges Inclusion of Plight of Displaced Yemenis in Peace Talks

The majority of displacement camp residents in Yemen are women and children (Yemen's government-affiliated media)
The majority of displacement camp residents in Yemen are women and children (Yemen's government-affiliated media)
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Norwegian Refugee Council Urges Inclusion of Plight of Displaced Yemenis in Peace Talks

The majority of displacement camp residents in Yemen are women and children (Yemen's government-affiliated media)
The majority of displacement camp residents in Yemen are women and children (Yemen's government-affiliated media)

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has urged the inclusion of the issue of three million displaced persons in Yemen in the upcoming peace talks, aiming for permanent solutions for their plight.

The Council warned that Yemen and humanitarian partners still have a long way to go to find genuine and lasting alternatives to displacement for the millions of people who have been forced to flee within the country.

It noted that a reduction in violence due to the UN-sponsored ceasefire since April 2022 has created a window of opportunity for diplomacy.

However, it indicated that the international community must find opportunities to secure durable solutions for the 4.5 million displaced persons.

The report described the situation in Yemen as "at a crossroads," noting that although the formal UN-brokered truce lapsed in October 2022, "truce-like conditions" have continued.

Fighting has diminished, there have been fewer civilian casualties, the conflict has been forcing fewer people to flee, and there is increasing international support for political negotiations toward peace.

However, it said that there is still a long way to go before finding genuine and lasting alternatives for millions of people who were forced to flee their areas of origin.

It pointed out that hopes for a new era of calm have grown, but the benefits of peace are only sometimes balanced.

The communities most severely affected by conflict are often left behind, and in Yemen, the conditions facing them remain grim.

- Need for concurrent support

The NRC asserted that the humanitarian community must do more to avoid a false sense of safety and opportunity among communities.

According to its assessment, the Council saw that despite the increased interest in returning home since the truce was enacted, the people attempting to do so remain a minority.

It indicated that the international community must develop a framework at the level of Yemen to track people who are trying to return, clear the areas of mines, and support the reconstruction of demolished homes.

It highlights the need for concurrent and coordinated humanitarian support and longer-term development and peace-building assistance, according to the Council.

Yemen does not have a systematic framework to track attempted returns, a lack of access to areas of origin, and limited funding. It restricts agencies' ability to assist IDPs who have tried to return.

As a result, humanitarian workers do not fully understand where displaced families are returning to or know about the conditions there.

Aid organizations must figure out how to harness this information to understand better where people are returning to, what their needs are, and what protection risks they face.

The Council said that the Yemeni government and Houthis should grant aid agencies full access to IDPs, host communities, and the areas of origin that people are returning to.

They should ensure that both aid responses and strategies for durable solutions are based on the expressed needs and intentions of the communities they are designed to support.

The Council called on the United Nations to develop a framework to track return processes and attempts and coordinate a clear understanding of not only displaced people's intentions but also whether lived experiences inform those intentions, that is, attempts to integrate with host communities, relocate or return to their areas of origin.

It asserted that the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen (OSESGY) should do more to base peace talks on the lived experiences of conflict-affected communities, specifically those living in displacement.

It should be noted that a negotiated peace agreement or prolonged pause in conflict may have unintended negative consequences for displaced people.

It should mitigate and monitor those consequences and raise them with parties to the conflict.

The Office of the Special Adviser on Solutions to Internal Displacement should ensure there continues to be space for providing humanitarian assistance and protection to populations that need them.

It should support the government and engage development agencies in seeking durable solutions.

- Providing adequate financing

International non-governmental organizations in Yemen should embed a durable solutions lens in all programming.

They should take into account people's lived experiences and intentions and make sure aid meets their needs and aspirations.

The donor community should ensure funding enables aid agencies to continue to support displacement-affected communities but is also flexible enough to respond to displaced people's intentions and movements.

It should include flexible, multi-year funding streams that support nexus approaches.

According to the Council, humanitarian agencies must have sustained, principled access to the areas people are returning to, noting that without access, aid agencies cannot collect data or engage with communities.

Access is necessary for aid workers to develop and deliver accountable and appropriate responses that will lead to durable solutions.

The Norwegian Refugee Council confirmed that people are clearly expressing their increasing interest in returning due to the unprecedented six-month truce, which was a hugely significant step in Yemen's peace process.



Senior Israeli Official: Al-Sharaa Is Clearly Our Enemy

Children ride in a truck as they are evacuated due to fears of Israeli army incursions, following a drone attack that reportedly killed at least four people in the area, on the outskirts of the village of Koayiah, southwestern Syria, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Children ride in a truck as they are evacuated due to fears of Israeli army incursions, following a drone attack that reportedly killed at least four people in the area, on the outskirts of the village of Koayiah, southwestern Syria, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
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Senior Israeli Official: Al-Sharaa Is Clearly Our Enemy

Children ride in a truck as they are evacuated due to fears of Israeli army incursions, following a drone attack that reportedly killed at least four people in the area, on the outskirts of the village of Koayiah, southwestern Syria, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Children ride in a truck as they are evacuated due to fears of Israeli army incursions, following a drone attack that reportedly killed at least four people in the area, on the outskirts of the village of Koayiah, southwestern Syria, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)

A senior Israeli official warned on Tuesday that the growing understandings between Syria and Türkiye could restrict Israel's operational freedom in Syria.

Regarding Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, the Haaretz newspaper quoted the senior official as saying, “He is a classic Islamist and clearly our enemy – without a doubt.”

The official added, "This is a strategic asset we must preserve. Türkiye’s goal is to limit Israeli activity in Syria. We have no interest in confrontation, but we won't give up our positions either."

The senior official also addressed the Israeli Army operations in Syria, stating, “We have full backing from the US president.”

Regarding the possibility of Türkiye establishing a base in Syria, he said, “We don't believe Erdogan will be the one to provide the funding.”

Lately, Israeli officials have voiced concerns over reports that Türkiye is considering establishing a military base in Syria.

Israeli security sources said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding security consultations to discuss concerns over Turkish influence in Syria following the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime, and is trying to portray a confrontation with Ankara as inevitable.

The Hebrew website Walla, citing security sources, said Syria is holding contacts with Türkiye regarding the transfer of areas near Palmyra (central Syria) to the Turkish army in exchange for economic and military support for Damascus. This development sparked significant Israeli concerns, the sources said.
They noted that the new Syrian regime is working to restore military bases and enhance missile and defense capabilities in the south, near Israel.

Last Thursday, a Turkish Ministry of Defense source confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat reports about plans to establish a military base in Syria.

The source, who requested anonymity, said Türkiye is evaluating, in line with the new Syrian government's requests, the possibility of setting up a training base to enhance the capabilities of the Syrian military.

This statement was made in response to questions during a weekly press briefing by the Turkish Ministry of Defense, addressing recent reports regarding the potential establishment of a Turkish military base in Palmyra, Homs province, and an airbase at the Menagh Military Airport in Aleppo province.

“All our activities in Syria are coordinated in advance with the relevant parties, and all necessary security measures are taken,” the source added.

Earlier last month, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel will defend itself against any threat from Syria, while vowing the military will continue working to keep southern Syria demilitarized.

“We will ensure that southern Syria remains demilitarized and free of threats, and we will protect the local Druze population - anyone who does harm to them will face out response,” he wrote on his X page.