... Jemenitische Frauen und der Weg zum Frieden – Eine neue Resolution des UN-Sicherheitsrats ist notwendig – Lowcocks Bericht vor dem UN-Sicherheitsrat – US-Senat stimmt gegen Unterstützung im Jemenkrieg und gegen Kronprinz Salman – Australier in Diensten der Emirate – Iranische Waffen im Jemen – Jemengespräche: Waffenstillstand für Hodeidah vereinbart, aber Umsetzung vage, Kämpfe gegen weiter – und mehr
Dec. 16, 2018: Yemenis speaking about the war – Meet Abrar, 12 – Pregnant in a war zone – Yemeni fates – A female doctor and starving children – Yemeni women and the road to peace – A new UN Security Council resolution is needed – Lowcock’s briefing to UN sec. Council – US Senate votes to end support for Yemen War and for condemning Crown prince Salman– Australians in UAE services – Iranian arms in Yemen – Yemen talks: Agreement to Hodeidah truce, but implement stays vague, fighting continues – and more
Dieses Jemenkrieg-Mosaik besteht aus zwei Teilen / This Yemen War Mosaic is divided in two parts
Teil 2 / Part 2: https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-491b-yemen-war-mosaic-491b
Schwerpunkte / Key aspects
(Teil 2: Kursiv / Part 2: In Italics)
Klassifizierung / Classification
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle
cp2 Allgemein / General
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
cp8a Jamal Khashoggi
cp9 USA
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms Trade
cp13b Mercenaries / Söldner
cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
Klassifizierung / Classification
***
**
*
(Kein Stern / No star)
? = Keine Einschatzung / No rating
A = Aktuell / Current news
B = Hintergrund / Background
C = Chronik / Chronicle
D = Details
E = Wirtschaft / Economy
H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions
K = Krieg / War
P = Politik / Politics
pH = Pro-Houthi
pS = Pro-Saudi
T = Terrorismus / Terrorism
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
Einführende Artikel u. Überblicke für alle, die mit den Ereignissen im Jemen noch nicht vertraut sind, hier:
Yemen War: Introductory articles, overviews, for those who are still unfamiliar with the Yemen war here:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-einfuehrende-artikel-u-ueberblicke
Neue Artikel / New articles
(* B H K)
Quick facts: What you need to know about the crisis in Yemen
The crisis in Yemen, caused by prolonged conflict, has led to staggering impacts on human life, basic public services and the economy. More than 2 million people have been displaced and 14 million are in desperate need of food.
In the last few months, civilian deaths have increased 164 percent as violence has increased. Families are struggling to survive, severe outbreaks of cholera and other communicable diseases are ongoing, and the risk of famine looms.
Millions of Yemeni people need our help. Today, 22.2 million people within the country are in need of humanitarian assistance, and less than 80 percent of the Humanitarian Response Plan has been funded for 2018. Mercy Corps is there to connect communities with desperately needed resources, but our work is only possible with your knowledge and support.
Learn more about the crisis and find out how you can help.
https://www.mercycorps.org/articles/yemen/quick-facts-what-you-need-know-about-crisis-yemen
(* B H K)
Film: The war in Yemen might be the worst humanitarian crisis in a century — since the president won't stop U.S. involvement, Congress has to act. Please watch and share video to educate and empower on this catastrophe.
https://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/1073017585913004032
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
(** B K)
“Our Present Is a Nightmare”: 100 Yemenis Speak Out Against the U.S.-Saudi War
As the Senate debates the U.S.-Saudi War, here are the voices of the Yemenis bearing its brunt.
In These Times asked Yemenis in Yemen to describe to the American public their own experience of the war and analysis of the overall situation in Yemen, using a word or a sentence. Responses were overwhelming, with nearly 900 public replies to the tweet and dozens more direct messages.
Most respondents tweeted about the impact of the war on their country and its devastating impact on their daily lives, and I translated their testimonies from Arabic to English. Below are the messages of 100 Yemenis living in Yemen, in their own words.
Dr. Ammar Ali, a computer specialist living in Sana’a with his wife and two daughters, noted that “the forgotten war in Yemen must be known to all.” Mohammad Lotf, an engineer also living in Sana’a with his wife and two boys, began with, “God is with us,” a sentiment expressed by many respondents, along with his gratitude to those who speak out against the war. “Thanks for every free voice and every one with a conscience who speaks out, defends, and rejects injustice and aggression on Yemen,” he wrote.
Respondents like Yasmeen Ali, a woman living in Sana’a, directly addressed the American public: She tweeted, “Dear American people, we speak with you in the name of humanity. Help us to stop the war in Yemen. Your great country America is the one that sells weapons to the Coalition to bomb Yemen. Your great country is the one that gave the green light to strike Yemen.” Others, such as Dr. Ashraf Alkebsi, asked, “Why must the beautiful American dream turn our lives in Yemen into an ugly nightmare in the depths of hell?” Others also addressed the American public in their tweets:
Abdulghani Hussein: Your government is killing us and the price of your welfare is our blood… – by Shireen Al-Adeimi
http://inthesetimes.com/article/21630/yemen-war-saudi-arabia-uae-senate-war-powers-resolution/
(** B H K)
Yemenis Describe Their Country in Crisis
In an earlier article, I described how the war transpired and how the U.S. became involved. But with the growing coverage of the Yemen crisis, which was a peripheral story to the Khashoggi disappearance, there were noticeably few Yemeni voices given a platform within Western media coverage. Yemeni journalists and aid workers who have been documenting the crisis on social media and through Yemeni publications were rarely afforded the opportunity to report the conditions in their country to American news outlets. Rather, only upon the crisis’s becoming a trending news story in October did American journalists speak to Yemeni civilians or visit Yemen. After perusing social media and past articles, and speaking with American journalists who have cited or referred to the work of Yemeni journalists, officials, and aid workers, I spoke with Yemenis who have lived through the war in their country. Unless the blockades are lifted and airstrikes are halted, they fear that they will continue to watch the numbers of their fellow Yemenis suffering from disease, malnutrition, and death increase as the human toll of the war grows more grim.
In 2015, Fatik al-Rodaini witnessed directly the humanitarian crisis that was unfolding in his country, so he made a career switch from journalism and founded a humanitarian nonprofit to provide urgent assistance such as food, medicine, blankets, and clothes. The nonprofit, Mona Relief, has reached over 43,000 families, but Fatik tells me the number of people in need only increases with each passing day.
“Since it was established in 2015, Mona Relief has started focusing on the suffering of IDPs (internally displaced persons) who fled their own villages from Saada and Hajjah governorates in northern Yemen to the capital Sanaa and Amran governorates due to the ongoing fighting there,” he tells me. According to the U.N., there are over 2 million IDPs in Yemen, and nearly 90 percent of them have been displaced for more than a year since the war began.
Fatik interacts with children like Amal every day — so gaunt from malnutrition that they are fragile to the touch, their vertebrae visible, their skin so gossamer-thin that their bones look as if they’d pierce it with any movement. He showed me pictures of the children he helps, and many of them are indistinguishable from the New York Times photo.
“I have seen people eating from the garbage; I have seen people dying due to the hunger or diseases,” he says. “Imagine that people in my country didn’t receive their monthly salaries since October 2016. How could they live without money?”
Ibrahim Mitrz, a Yemeni freelance journalist in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital and largest city, has been reporting on the conflict since its advent. He tells me that Yemen is under siege at all hours. He has never seen his country face such destitution and disease.
“Families have nothing to eat; people are eating leaves. There is no urgent effort to help these people,” he tells me – by Marlo Safi
https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/12/yemenis-describe-country-in-crisis/
(** B H K P)
This Is What Our Yemen Policy Looks Like
Meet Abrar, 12, a victim of that policy.
I’m giving up most of my column space today to introduce you to Abrar Ibrahim, a 12-year-old girl in Yemen who weighs just 28 pounds. Nothing I write can be as searing or persuasive or true as Abrar is in this photo.
Abrar is starving in part as a consequence of the American-backed Saudi Arabian war in Yemen.
It is wrenching for me as an American to travel across this country and see the toll of my country’s actions. The most common war casualty in Yemen is not a soldier with a bullet but a child who is starving.
True, there are complex roots to the suffering in Yemen, but the United States is a partner in a war that has collapsed Yemen’s economy and kept fishermen, like Abrar’s father in the port city of Hudaydah, from going to sea to haul in their catches. So Abrar is now fighting for her life in a hospital in Aden.
American and Saudi officials think of the Yemen war as a way to check Iran. It has failed in that and has accomplished little more than leaving 12 million Yemenis on the brink of famine. Already, 85,000 children may have died. We are complicit.
Doctors don’t know if Abrar will survive. She deserves our hopes and prayers, and an end to this shameful war. Look at Abrar, and any additional commentary seems superfluous – by Nicholas Kristof (with photo)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/opinion/yemen-children-famine-war.html = https://opinion.bdnews24.com/2018/12/14/this-is-what-our-yemen-policy-looks-like/
My comment: Thanks to Nicholas Kristof for this column. But the question remains why it took 3 ½ years until the NYT and other US media started serious reporting on the Yemen War, why the US media let the US public unaware of what really happens in Yemen, why the media thus prevented the US citizens to react and to act. By this, the media became complicit in war crimes and famine.
And film:
(* B H K)
Film: NYT Columnist describes scenes from Yemen
New York Times Columnist Nicholas Kristof, who traveled to Yemen, shares details of the destruction he saw there.
https://www.msnbc.com/katy-tur/watch/nyt-columnist-describes-scenes-from-yemen-1397288515799
And
(* B H K P)
Putting an End to U.S. Involvement in the War on Yemen
Nick Kristof has written another important column on the need to end the war on Yemen
The many tens of thousands of innocent Yemenis who have already died from preventable causes over the last three and a half years remain almost completely anonymous and invisible to the outside world. Until recently, their deaths have gone uncounted and unremarked by almost everyone outside the country. That is beginning to change, but the change has come too late for many of the war’s victims. The question before us is whether we will act in time to prevent catastrophic famine that threatens to take 14 million lives.
Despite the great number of unnecessary, preventable deaths caused by the war on Yemen, our government’s policy of enabling this catastrophe has remained the same. Many members of Congress in both houses have been working tirelessly to put an end to that policy, but it has been an uphill struggle the entire time.
When senators vote on S.J.Res. 54 this week, they should all ask themselves the most important questions: 1) why is the U.S. involved in an unwinnable war in Yemen on the side of the aggressors?; 2) why has our government made itself party to war crimes and crimes against humanity?; 3) how can the current policy of backing the Saudi coalition war be justified when it is causing the worst famine in decades? – by Daniel Larison
(** B H K)
Pregnant in a war zone: Stories from Yemen
These are the stories of four women facing childbirth in a war zone.
They are trapped in Yemen, where the world's biggest humanitarian crisis has unfolded following a war between Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition backing the government.
These women were interviewed from the Al Thawra Hospital in Hodeida - a city controlled by the rebels and a vital through-route for aid and food for the whole country.
The city has been under siege from the coalition for months.
Figures from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) last month showed that in Hodeida alone some 1,500 pregnant women were at risk of death if the hospital became inaccessible.
These stories, edited only for clarity, reveal what it is like to expect a child when you can hear gunfire from your bed.
A mother-of-two, Yusra, 27, had to flee her coastal home and is now eight months pregnant in Hodeida City.
Sometimes I feel I cannot breath and I feel so scared.
This time I suffered with my pregnancy. It is because of the crisis and the war. I do not know what is going to happen with me.
I do not want to give birth in hospital. This is because I am scared. There is continuous fighting and it is not safe. Hospitals are sometimes targeted. I am scared.
I am worried. I am afraid that something bad would happen to the baby.
I am worried and scared of the war. I want the war to be stopped. I want to go back home. I do not want to stay in the hospital fearing for myself and my unborn baby. The hospital can be targeted. It is close to the battlefield.
This is not my first pregnancy. I have two daughters already. But this time I am suffering from anaemia. This is the first time this has happened to me. I did not expect it.
I asked the doctors to not make me stay in the hospital. I asked if I could get the treatment today and complete it by tomorrow so I do not have to stay.
The doctors refused but I am determined to go back home. I want to feel safe. Being safe is the most important thing for me now. It is more important than food. I can bear being starved.
We don't have any money and it's difficult to access food. I eat whenever I can and whenever our situation allows.
At home I could call a midwife to help me. However, money is a problem; I cannot afford it.
We are living in a very difficult situation now. My husband used to work in a food commodities factory. The factory has been shut down because of the fighting. Now we are without income and my husband stays at home – by Sanya Burgess (with photos)
https://news.sky.com/story/pregnant-in-a-war-zone-stories-from-yemen-11581821
(** B H K)
Yemen: A man-made war paid for by women and children
Yemen's four-year civil war has produced the world's worst humanitarian disaster.
Often overlooked in Yemen's wartime narrative are women and children. Yet they are the ones most likely to be displaced, deprived and abused.
More women are being widowed by the war each day, left without the education or skills to support their families. Rape and domestic violence are increasing. Girls are being pulled out of school to be married off for dowry money. Children are falling sick from diseases that were long-ago eradicated elsewhere in the world, and pregnant women and newborn babies are succumbing to starvation.
These are their stories:
It was to be a joyful occasion, but the birth of Sada Mohammed Saeed's first grandchild was marred by tragedy. Her son, the baby's father, had been killed by a mortar shell that hit their home in Hodeida shortly before the birth.
Sada's husband, meantime, suffered a paralyzing stroke that she blames on the stress of the war.
With no men to care for them, the two women - Sada and her 8-month-pregnant daughter-in-law, Fakhira - fled to Aden and took shelter with other internally displaced people in an abandoned school.
In Yemen's traditionally patriarchal society, men work outside the home and women care for the home and children. But because of the war, aid agencies report that the number of female-headed households has dramatically increased. Many Yemeni women must provide for their families without the skills or education needed to earn money.
After complications from giving birth, Fakhira desperately needs medication, but the family can't afford it. Prices for medicine are skyrocketing as inflation soars and the value of the Yemeni currency collapses. So Sada says she must depend on the generosity of others.
Today, the new mother and child cling to life. "This is the baby of my dead son," Sada says, pointing to her newborn grandchild – By: Neha Wadekar (with films)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/world/yemen-civil-war-women-children/ = https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12176679
(** B H)
Film: One Doctor’s Desperate Attempt To Save Yemen's Starving Children
At least 85,000 children under the age of five may have died as a consequence of extreme hunger or disease since the Saudi-led coalition began its offensive in Yemen. VICE News spends the day with one doctor in one of the country's poorest districts, where at least one in six children is severely malnourished.
Dr. Makiya al-Aslami runs the only health clinic in Aslam, the poorest district in Yemen, where one in six children is severely malnourished. She walks from bed to bed, checking on her patients, all of them children. She measures their small forearms covered in paper-thin skin and weighs their slight bodies, watching for the tiniest, often imperceptible improvements — a quarter-pound increase, a slightly less distended belly.
On any given day, she handles up to 250 cases.
“This is a malnutrition crisis,” Dr. al-Aslami, 40, told VICE News. “And an even worse one is looming in the distance.”
“War taught us patience. War taught us resilience,” Dr. al-Aslami said. “But even if they bring the entire world's aid and all the crops necessary for life, if the war does not end, Yemen is doomed, one way or another.”
https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/ev38dm/one-doctors-desperate-attempt-to-save-yemens-starving-children and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0-F8aFzAew
(** B H P)
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom: Changes Ahead: Yemeni Women Map the Road to Peace
Muna Luqman nods. “They should not underestimate us. We are here for the long haul, and we are not giving up. Should peace get a chance in Yemen, then we will need women at the table,” says Muna Luqman and she starts listing the number of international key meetings that members of the Yemeni women’s coalition, Women Solidarity Network, have been present at during the last months, from Geneva Peace Week to side events in Sweden on the margins of the peace talks, over high level dialogue with prominent Syrian women with the EU in Belgium, and now to the UPR pre-session in Switzerland. The most significant instance was when one of their fellow activists, Rasha Jarhum, briefed the UN Security Council in November 2018 and provided a civil society perspective during the session around the situation in Yemen.
“As members of the Women Solidarity Network and as women activists, we work relentlessly to end bloody conflicts over water and land resources, to evacuate schools from armed groups, and to restore the rights of ours sons and daughters to education. We are risking our lives on a daily basis to rescue families trapped in conflict zones, and negotiating the opening of humanitarian corridors,” says Muna Luqman.
While the government of Yemen might be able to neglect the existence of these persistent women, the international community has started discovering the added value that the women are bringing to the stagnant peace talks .
Participation is essential to secure women’s rights
The work with the UPR submission had been intensive. Firstly, the organisations involved had never made a UPR submission before, and secondly, they needed to keep their focus on writing recommendations to the Yemeni government — as UPR recommendations are addressed to the State under review — knowing well that this would not give an exhaustive picture of the deteriorating situation of women’s rights in Yemen, nor would it cover the violations against women committed by other warring parties to the conflict.
“Our submission details many recommendations to the government of Yemen on six different topics. I think the international community’s focus will be on child soldiers and gender-based sexual violence, but I certainly also hope that attention will be on the need for women’s participation, enforced disappearances and use of explosive weapons,” explains Muna Luqman, arguing in a lively manner with her hands.
Ending the war in Yemen is one thing, getting transitional justice to its people another. The picture is complex, and the two Yemeni activists clearly know this.
“I really see it as my duty to speak and bring the voices of Yemeni women to the international community. We are also trying to speak to the Yemeni government, but they are not interested in what we have to say, so our strategy is really to get the international community to push for our inclusion. The more visible we are, the harder it is to silence us,” says Nisma Mansour.
“There is now a light in the dark tunnel of bloodshed, but if peace really happens, then we will need the right people to be part of the negotiations. Today, the negotiations are only taking place between the warring parties, namely the militias inside Yemen and the government who has fled to Saudi Arabia and has not been directly engaged with the people,” says Muna Luqman and continues: “Women are truly those who know what needs to be done. While the government has been in exile, we have been documenting what’s happening on the ground; we brought water, food, and oxygen to the hospitals, brought bread to the hungry, advocated for detainees to be released … the youth and women working at the grassroots level simply need to be part of the solution for Yemen.”
“When is it time to include women, if not now?” asks Nisma Mansour, speaking rhetorically, referring to their latest call with a High Standing Representative of the Yemeni Government, who didn’t even wanted to arrange a meeting with them, while the UN Envoy to Yemen and various diplomats spent two hours with them on a day packed with important meetings.
The UPR submission has been turned into a publication called “Changes Ahead: Yemeni Women Map the Road to Peace” and it can be downloaded on WILPF’s website. In the publication, you are able to read in detail the Yemeni women’s analysis of what needs to be done, all their recommendations to the government, case studies and infographic.
https://wilpf.org/womens-rights-in-yemen-under-review/ = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/changes-ahead-yemeni-women-map-road-peace
and full document: https://wilpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/WILPF_Yemen-Publication_web.pdf = https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/WILPF_Yemen-Publication_web.pdf
(** B P)
After Progress in Sweden, Yemen Needs a UN Security Council Resolution
Talks in Sweden between the warring parties in Yemen may be yielding positive results. But the UN Security Council should not wait for an outcome to applaud. It should pass a new resolution now protecting the key port of Hodeida to ward off approaching famine.
The UN Security Council should prepare for every eventuality. It should draft a new resolution aimed at stopping a battle for Yemen’s Red Sea port of Hodeida. Such a resolution will either help consolidate gains made in Sweden or prevent backsliding before the next round of talks, tentatively slated for the end of January.
The Security Council held off on voting on a resolution focused on the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen earlier in December. The stated reason was to give the UN envoy the space he needed to achieve through negotiation what they had planned to accomplish through international writ. Griffiths and his team say they have come close to achieving a deal on Hodeida but may need a little more time to finalise details. Either way – in the event of a deal or a delay – he will need the Council’s help.
Failure to act on Hodeida at this fragile moment could mean allowing famine to unfold.
It is thus likely that a fight for the city would incapacitate the port for an extended period, during which no ship would be able to enter or leave Hodeida, and no insurer would place its money on a cargo company willing to defy the odds, even if the port remained open. The loss of Hodeida can only precipitate mass starvation among a population that already is severely malnourished.
The Security Council should therefore act expeditiously to minimise the risk of a fight for Hodeida while supporting Griffiths’ peace plan.
The draft resolution should not be controversial: the UK took much of its language from a list of “asks” from the UN humanitarian chief, Mark Lowcock, who has sounded the alarm about impending famine in Yemen. The draft has since been revised to include a call for a cessation of hostilities around Hodeida.
A vote on the resolution has been delayed repeatedly, most importantly by the U.S., which argued in the run-up to the Sweden talks that a resolution would ease pressure on the Huthis. Diplomats at the UN in New York now worry that Washington may attempt to stall debate on the resolution further, perhaps until the new year – by Peter Salisbury
https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/gulf-and-arabian-peninsula/yemen/after-progress-sweden-yemen-needs-un-security-council-resolution = https://lobelog.com/yemen-needs-a-un-security-council-resolution/
(** A B H)
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock, Briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, New York, 14 December 2018
A fortnight ago in Yemen I got a glimpse of what life is like in the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. I talked to families who fled violence raging in their communities, some of them living for years under a plastic sheet.
I met young mothers who had rushed desperately malnourished children to hospitals. For some, it was their second, third or even fourth visit, because their families can’t afford the food or medicine to keep them well once they’ve been discharged.
So, I can again confirm again what humanitarian agencies have known for a long time: a terrible tragedy is unfolding in Yemen. And it is getting worse. Millions of people are starving, sick and desperate. They have one message for the world: this war needs to stop.
You have just heard Martin describe the progress made this week in Sweden. For the first time in a long time, we can see a sign that, perhaps, things might start to get a bit better.
But the people I met see no tangible improvement yet. This week’s success must not lead to complacency – in fact it must do the opposite. Commitments must be implemented. Working towards peace must be accelerated.
In the meantime, millions of Yemenis still desperately need assistance and protection.
We have recently had further confirmation of just how bad the situation has become. Last week, a consortium of agencies published the Integrated Phase Classification analysis for Yemen, or IPC.
Their report is the most detailed, rigorous food security survey ever conducted in the country.
As we have told you before, the economic crisis is also playing a major role. Yemenis’ livelihoods and access to income have been decimated, and agricultural production has fallen by nearly a third. These developments have left millions more Yemenis unable to afford food and other essential goods. And food prices are 150 per cent higher than they were before the crisis.
If there is any good news in the IPC report, it is that humanitarian assistance – especially food aid or money to buy food – is having a major impact. It shows that millions of Yemenis are less hungry than they would be without aid help. The IPC also tells us what areas and which people are worst affected.
The United Nations and partners are rushing now to reach those people and prevent the catastrophe from spreadi
Since October, I have been seeking your support for five measures to prevent famine from taking hold.
These five steps are more urgent than ever.
So where do we stand on them today?
The first is a cessation of hostilities.
The second point is to protect the supply of food and essential goods, and to facilitate aid operations. This means keeping all ports open, easing entry and movement restrictions, protecting humanitarian supplies and facilitating aid workers in doing their jobs.
Restrictions on humanitarian access are a serious and growing problem.
The Red Sea Mills in Hudaydah, which I have talked about repeatedly over the last three months, are another instructive example. Access to the mills has been impossible since fighting escalated around them in September. Fighters have regularly impinged upon the compound, and the site was repeatedly struck by mortar fire. Early last month, the mills came under the control of Government-backed forces. But access since then has been hampered by difficulties in moving across front lines and concerns that the area – potentially including the entrance to the mills – may have been mined.
Because of all this, enough food to feed 3.5 million people for a month has now sat useless in a warehouse for more than three months.
(**A P)
Beschluss: US-Senat beschämt genug für Kriegsrückzug
Auch Republikaner stimmen für Resolution / Sanders: »Agenda nicht länger von despotischem Mörderregime in Saudi-Arabien bestimmen lassen«
Der US-Senat hat sich mit zwei Beschlüssen frontal gegen den Kurs von Präsident Donald Trump zu Saudi-Arabien gestellt. In einer am Donnerstag verabschiedeten Resolution bezeichnete die von Trumps Republikanischer Partei beherrschte Kongresskammer den mächtigen Kronprinzen Mohammed bin Salman als »verantwortlich für den Mord« an dem Journalisten Jamal Khashoggi.
Der Senat forderte zudem in einer anderen Resolution ein Ende der US-Unterstützung für den saudiarabischen Militäreinsatz im Bürgerkrieg im Jemen. Die USA lassen dem Königreich Geheimdienstinformationen zukommen und bilden Piloten aus.
Es ist das erste Mal, dass sich der Senat in der Außenpolitik derart klar gegen Trump positioniert. »Das ist ein wirklich großes Ding«, erklärte der demokratische Senator Chris Murphy.
»85.000 verhungerte Kinder, 10.000 neue Cholera-Fälle jede Woche und eine drohende Hungerkrise, bei der Millionen sterben könnten: Wir werden uns nicht länger die Agenda von einem despotischen Mörderregime in Saudi-Arabien diktieren lassen«, erklärte Bernie Sanders nach der Verabschiedung der Resolution. Er dankte den Republikanern auch für die parteiübergreifende Zusammenarbeit.
Die jetzige Erklärung wurde mit 56 Ja- zu 41 Nein-Stimmen angenommen, auch einige Republikaner stimmten für sie.
und
(** A P)
Politische Ohrfeigen für Präsident Trump
Bisher hatten es die Republikaner im US-Senat noch kein einziges Mal gewagt, sich gegen Präsident Trump zu stellen. Jetzt aber war es soweit – in zwei Resolutionen, von denen eine einstimmig angenommen wurde, wandten sich die Senatoren gegen Trumps Politik.
Diese beiden Resolutionen standen zur Abstimmung: die Forderung nach einer diplomatischen Lösung im Jemen-Krieg und nach der Beendigung der US-amerikanischen Unterstützung für den saudischen Militäreinsatz dort. Und, zweitens, eine klare Schuldzuweisung an die Adresse des saudischen Kronprinzen Mohamed Bin Salman, für den Mord am saudischen Journalisten Jamal Kashoggi persönlich verantwortlich zu sein. Beides zusammen ist eine schallende politische Ohrfeige für Präsident Donald Trump, der sich wegen der guten Rüstungsgeschäfte mit Saudi-Arabien bis heute weigert, dem saudischen Königshaus nach dem Mord an Kashoggi auch nur den leisesten Vorwurf zu machen.
Mit 56 zu 41 Stimmen wurde schließlich die Resolution verabschiedet, in der der US-Senat auch mit den Stimmen von sieben Republikanern ein Ende der US-amerikanischen Unterstützung für den saudischen Krieg im Jemen fordert. Zum ersten Mal stützte sich der Senat dabei auf den War Powers Act, der während des Vietnamkrieges geschaffen wurde, um die Machtfülle des Präsidenten bei Militäreinsätzen im Ausland zu beschneiden.
Damit sei deutlich geworden, dass der Senat die Beziehungen zu Saudi-Arabien für eine schwere Belastung halte, sagte Lindsey Graham – eine Normalisierung sei undenkbar, solange der Kronprinz an den Schalthebeln der Macht im Königshaus von Riad sitze.
Nun hat es das Repräsentantenhaus in der Hand, diese beiden Resolutionen zu bestätigen. Dort haben aber noch bis Ende Dezember die Republikaner die Mehrheit – weshalb befürchtet wird, dass das starke Signal aus dem Senat dort an hartleibigen Trump-Anhängern scheitert.
Ob auch das Weiße Haus die politische Botschaft verstanden hat und akzeptiert, wird sich zeigen: Der Präsident kann sein Veto gegen beide Resolutionen einlegen.
(**A P)
Senate Votes to End Aid for Yemen Fight Over Khashoggi Killing and Saudis’ War Aims
The Senate voted on Thursday to end American military assistance for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen in the strongest show of bipartisan defiance against President Trump’s defense of the kingdom over the killing of a dissident journalist.
The 56-to-41 vote was a rare move by the Senate to limit presidential war powers and sent a potent message of disapproval for a nearly four-year conflict that has killed thousands of civilians and brought famine to Yemen. Moments later, senators unanimously approved a separate resolution to hold Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia personally responsible for the death of the journalist, Jamal Khashoggi.
Together, the votes were an extraordinary break with Mr. Trump, who has refused to condemn the prince and dismissed United States intelligence agencies’ conclusions that the heir to the Saudi throne directed the grisly killing.
While the House will not take up the measure by the end of the year, the day’s votes signal that Congress will take on Mr. Trump’s support of Saudi Arabia when Democrats take control of the House next month.
“What the Khashoggi event did, I think, was to focus on the fact that we have been led into this civil war in Yemen, half a world away, into a conflict in which few Americans that I know can articulate what American national security interest is at stake,” said Senator Mike Lee, Republican of Utah. “And we’ve done so, following the lead of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
The resolution was written by Mr. Lee and Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont. It was an unusual invocation of the War Powers Act, a 1973 law by which Congress sought at the end of the Vietnam War to reassert its constitutional role in deciding when the United States would go to war.
Mr. Sanders called it the first time Congress had used the law to make clear “that the constitutional responsibility for making war rests with the United States Congress, not the White House.”
“Today, we tell the despotic regime in Saudi Arabia that we will not be part of their military adventurism,” he said.
With both votes, senators diverged sharply from Mr. Trump.
Senators in both parties described the twin measures as a direct response to the refusal by Mr. Trump and his administration to hold Saudi Arabia to account for Mr. Khashoggi’s death — and a way to counter the president’s assertion that the money to be made from arms sales to the kingdom was enough to justify turning a blind eye to such a deed – By Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Eric Schmitt
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/13/us/politics/yemen-saudi-war-pompeo-mattis.html
Remark: More reporting: cp9.
(** A P)
S.J.Res.69 - A joint resolution supporting a Diplomatic Solution in Yemen and Condemning the Murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
Supporting a Diplomatic Solution in Yemen and Condemning the Murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
Whereas the ongoing civil war in Yemen has exacerbated that country’s humanitarian crisis, in which nearly 12,000,000 people are suffering from “severe hunger,” according to the United Nations’ World Food Programme;
Whereas there is no military solution to the conflict;
Whereas the United States-Saudi Arabia relationship is important to United States national security and economic interests;
Whereas the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has, in recent years, engaged in concerning behavior, including its conduct in the civil war in Yemen, apparent detention of the Prime Minister of Lebanon, undermining the unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council, expulsion of the Canadian ambassador, suppression of dissent within the Kingdom, and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi;
Whereas misleading statements by the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the murder of Jamal Khashoggi have undermined trust and confidence in the longstanding friendship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and
Whereas such erratic actions place unnecessary strain on the United States-Saudi Arabia relationship, which is an essential element of regional stability: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Senate—
(1) believes Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi;
(2) acknowledges the United States Government has sanctioned 17 Saudi individuals under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 114–328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note) for their roles in the murder;
(3) calls for the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to ensure appropriate accountability for all those responsible for Jamal Khashoggi’s murder;
(4) calls on the Government of Saudi Arabia to release Raif Badawi, Samar Badawi, and the Saudi women's rights activists who were arrested as political prisoners in 2018;
(5) encourages the Government of Saudi Arabia to redouble its efforts to enact economic and social reforms;
(6) calls on the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to respect the rights of its citizens and moderate its increasingly erratic foreign policy;
(7) warns that the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's increasing purchases of military equipment from, and cooperation with, the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China, challenges the strength and integrity of the long-standing military-to-military relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and may introduce significant national security and economic risks to both parties;
(8) demands that all parties seek an immediate cease-fire and negotiated political solution to the Yemen conflict and increased humanitarian assistance to the victims of the conflict;
(9) condemns the Government of Iran’s provision of advanced lethal weapons to Houthi rebels, which have perpetuated the conflict and have been used indiscriminately against civilian targets in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Bab al Mandeb waterway;
(10) condemns Houthi rebels for egregious human rights abuses, including torture, use of human shields, and interference with, and diversion of, humanitarian aid shipments;
(11) demands that the Saudi-led coalition and all parties to the Yemen conflict seek to minimize civilian casualties at all times;
(12) supports the peace negotiations currently being managed by United Nations Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and encourages the United States Government to provide all possible support to these diplomatic efforts;
(13) declares that there is no statutory authorization for United States involvement in hostilities in the Yemen civil war; and
(14) supports the end of air-to-air refueling of Saudi-led coalition aircraft operating in Yemen.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/69/text
film: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye/status/1073553188660412417
Remark: More; cp9.
(** B K P)
Australian Army veterans advising foreign army accused of war crimes
Australian defence force veterans are earning tens of thousands of US dollars a month in the United Arab Emirates advising troops fighting in a bloody Middle East conflict dogged by allegations of war crimes and indiscriminate civilian casualties, an ABC investigation can reveal.
Questions are also being asked about what one of Australia's most respected former special forces commanders knew about a squad of US mercenaries killing the UAE's enemies in Yemen.
Despite this, Australian military veterans and former federal police officers have flocked to the country, seeking good pay and comfortable conditions in return for training some of the UAE's most elite troops.
The ABC searched LinkedIn and found almost 100 former soldiers and federal police whose profiles indicated they are or were training Emirati soldiers.
Military veteran Peter Butson worked for the UAE Armed Forces as a firing range inspector from 2012 to 2017.
He believes there are more Australian military contractors in the UAE than any other nationality.
"It's probably about 50 per cent Australian, probably about 30 per cent American and probably about 10 per cent Brits," Mr Butson told the ABC.
The Australian Defence Department said there was nothing inappropriate about the number of Australians working with the UAE military.
"The employment of personnel with previous service in other foreign militaries is common practice globally," a Defence spokesperson said.
Mr Butson spoke to the ABC because he had previously been named in an article as a "mercenary" and wanted to clear his name.
"I would describe myself as a specialist consultant who deals in military training facilities — the best in the world.
"[The Emiratis] are the ones with the bankroll to pay for it."
Mr Butson said the same held true for the dozens of other Western military veterans who were there.
Two facts stood out when the ABC examined the LinkedIn list: many of the men are veterans of Australia's two frontline special forces units, the commandos and the SAS; and many are training the UAE's most elite military command, the Presidential Guard.
That may be because the Presidential Guard is commanded by a retired Australian major general with a decades-long background in our special forces, Mike Hindmarsh.
He moved to Abu Dhabi a decade ago to create the Guard as the centrepiece of the UAE military – By Dylan Welch. Kyle Taylor and Dan Oakes
(** B K P)
Iranian Arms Could Have Been Sent to Yemen Before Its Blockade – Ex-Diplomat
Former Iranian diplomat Dr Seyed Hadi Afghahi explained how the supposed missile fragments had found their way to Yemen.
"Until today, there have been lots of similar accusations against Iran, but none of them have been proven", Afghahi underscored. "It is worth recalling the statements of [ex-US Ambassador to the UN] Nikki Haley and [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu, which also concerned the supply of Iranian missiles to Yemen. It is worth asking these people: How could Iran supply missiles [to Yemen] if [the country] is closed on every side — Yemen's air, land and air borders are completely blocked?"
The former diplomat presumed, however, that if some debris of Iranian missiles had really been discovered in Yemen, then they had been supplied by Tehran before Yemen's blockade.
"In a short period after the resignation of [then] President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Iran had diplomatic relations with Yemen, within the framework of which we supplied weapons to Sanaa — before the beginning of the war and the intervention of the Saudi-led coalition of the Arab states", the political scientist elaborated.
Therefore, "if any fragments of missiles were found, they refer to the period before the start of the conflict (2014)", Afghani emphasised.
He further noted that if Iran had an opportunity to deliver weapons to the Ansar Allah, "then we would consider that an honour".
"Our Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, even said that if Yemen had not been blockaded, we would have supplied not one, but hundreds of missiles", the former official highlighted.
According to him, the issue of the alleged Iranian rockets was raised to exert further pressure on the Ansar Allah through Iran so that the Houthi leaders would make concessions to Saudi Arabia and ousted Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.
"These are to surrender the port of Al-Hodeida to the Saudis, to exchange or release prisoners, to lift the Houthi blockade on Taiz", he elaborated.
Yet another reason for the media fuss over the allegedly Iranian missile fragments is to get the "green light" from the UN Security Council to impose tougher sanctions on Tehran, the diplomat opined.
"At the same time, it is worth mentioning that from the very beginning of the conflict in Yemen Iran has declared its neutrality and its commitment to a peaceful settlement through intra-Yemeni negotiations and reconciliation of the [warring] parties", Afghani stressed.
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201812151070701540-iran-yemen-civil-war/
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics
(** B H)
A WASH response to Yemen’s cholera outbreak
The upsurge of cholera cases is attributed to several risk factors, including a disruption of basic water and sanitation services, contaminated water sources in affected communities, an inability to treat sewage due to non-functional wastewater treatment plants, and the absence of garbage collection systems. More than 70 percent of the population (22 million people) requires assistance to access safe drinking water and sanitation. Basic water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure is on the verge of total collapse, and many internally displaced persons (IDPs) are at a particularly high risk, due to overcrowded shelters and settlements with inadequate water and sanitation facilities.
The highest numbers of cholera cases have been reported in places where wastewater treatment plants are non-functional. Without working wastewater treatment plants, raw sewage is often diverted to poor neighborhoods and agricultural lands. This, in turn, leads to contamination of the shallow aquifers and wells, where local civilians and private tankers collect drinking water. Private suppliers who use unregulated sources and transportation mechanisms to distribute water are reported to be a major source of contaminated water in the country. In addition, a recent World Bank study shows that prices charged by private tankers are several times higher than those charged by municipal services, making clean water less affordable to the poor.
Amid the deepening crisis, there are unprecedented rates of malnutrition.
To ensure a comprehensive, appropriate and timely response to the prevailing cholera outbreak, an integrated package of appropriate health, water and sanitation interventions has been designed and funded by the Bank through an IDA grant of $200 million – The Yemen Emergency Health and Nutrition Project Second Additional Financing was approved in August 2017 under the umbrella of the Emergency Health and Nutrition Project in Yemen.
(* B H)
Films: How Yemen's war is killing children — no weapons necessary
Three-year-old Yussuf Adel escaped some of the fiercest fighting in Yemen's civil war. He and his mother made it to the southern city of Aden.
Before diphtheria was largely brought under control through the introduction of a vaccine in the late 1920s and early 1930s, it was known for killing children. The highly infectious respiratory disease creates a layer of dead cells in the throat and nose, which can block an airway.
Conflict zones like Yemen — where people live in close contact and have poor access to medical care, and where vaccination rates are low — are breeding grounds for infections like diphtheria.
As he cried and struggled for breath, doctors at al Sadaqa Hospital in the city said they think his case was caught in time.
Yussuf may be one of the lucky ones. The doctors told CBS News that a quarter of the 50 children with diphtheria who were admitted to their hospital this year did not survive.
"It's a disease that's quite complicated to treat," said Charles Gaudry, head of Doctors Without Borders' program in Yemen. "Drugs are not that available on a global level for that, and a lot of the expertise of how to treat it and how to confirm the diagnosis with lab tests is super complicated in Yemen."
Even before the conflict, "there was a bad situation" in terms of access to medical care, Gaudry said. Now, it's "getting worse and worse and worse, as long as this war goes on."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-yemens-war-is-killing-children-no-weapons-necessary/
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle
Zum Waffenstillstand: cp1, cp7 / For truce: cp1, cp7.
(* A P)
Two days after Sweden agreement, Houthis loot Hodeida Port
Two days after reaching an agreement in Sweden to secure Hodeida truce, workers of Hodeida Port revealed that Houthi militias looted equipment, documents and commodities of merchants and investors from the port.
The workers told Alsahwa Net that different kinds of vehicles and different were also confiscated from Hodeida.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-26094
Remark: As claimed by anti-Houthi Islah party website.
(A P)
#Griffiths said retired Dutch Major General Patrick Cammaert had agreed to lead the monitoring component of the agreement, which took effect on Thursday when the deal was published. He said Cammaert could arrive in the region within days. (photo9
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1073975627043221504
(* A K pS)
On Saturday, at least 6 #civilian citizens were killed, including #children and 12 others injured in explosions of landmines that were left behind by the #Houthi militia fighters in the district of al-Tuhayta in the port city of #Hodeidah. (photo)
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1074045514700808192
(A K pS)
Landmine injures three children in Hodeida
A landmine planted by the Houthis injured today, Saturday, three children in the district of al-Jarai in the south of Hodeida city.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-26096
(A K pH)
3 Saudi-led air strikes hit Hodeidah
The air strikes hit Ra’as Issa area and Jabaliah district, causing material damages, the official said.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news518955.htm
(A K pH)
Citizen killed in blast of cluster bomb dropped earlier by coalition in western coast
A citizen was killed on Saturday in a cluster bomb blast in Hodeidah provinc
The cluster bomb, which is dropped earlier by the US-backed saudi-led aggression coalition, exploded in Tuhayta district,
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news518970.htm
(* A K)
Einwohner von Hodeida im Jemen befürchten Zusammenbruch der Waffenruhe
Nach neuen Kämpfen in der jemenitischen Hafenstadt Hodeida befürchten viele Einwohner den Zusammenbruch der ausgehandelten Waffenruhe. Obwohl es am Samstagmorgen wieder ruhig war, blieben Geschäfte und Schulen geschlossen und bewaffnete Kämpfer waren im Süden und Osten der Stadt im Einsatz, wie ein AFP-Reporter berichtete
(* A K)
Kämpfe trotz Waffenruhe in Hodeida
In der jemenitischen Hafenstadt Hodeida ist es trotz der vereinbarten Waffenruhe zwischen Regierungstruppen und Rebellen zu Kämpfen gekommen. Im Süden der Stadt sei Artilleriefeuer zu hören gewesen, sagte ein Bewohner der Nachrichtenagentur AFP. Ein anderer Einwohner erzählte von wiederkehrenden Feuergefechten im Osten Hodeidas.
https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/jemen-hudeida-101.html = https://orf.at/stories/3104361/
(* A K P)
Yemen government warns Houthis against failure to abide by Hodeidah deal
Rebels must withdraw “within days” or risk collapse of UN-brokered agreement
Yemen’s internationally recognised government warned on Saturday that a UN-brokered agreement for a ceasefire in Hodeidah would collapse if the Houthi rebels fail to start withdrawing their forces from the province in coming days.
“The next few days are crucial for the implementation of the ceasefire, if the Houthis refuse to leave Hodeidah then it will lead to the collapse of the agreement,” a source close to the government told The National.
The agreement stipulates that armed forces from both sides must withdraw from three key ports and the rest of the province before both government and rebel factions begin disengaging in Hodeidah city.
Local forces will then take control the city and the ports, which will be under UN supervision.
My comment: Forces fighting for this “government” must withdraw as well. These “local forces” will not be loyal to or under the power of the Hadi government; they will be local, according to the agreement.
(* A K)
Yemenis fear collapse of UN-backed ceasefire accord
Saturday morning saw calm return to Hodeida, but shops and schools remained shuttered as gunmen deployed in the south and east.
"I was so happy they had reached a solution for Hodeida but our happiness was short lived," 28-year-old Hodeida resident Noha Ahmad told AFP after the clashes.
Omar Hassan, 40, said residents of the beleaguered city have been "desperately waiting for calm and security to be restored".
"Now we are afraid that clashes will return and persist," he said.
But for some Hodeida residents Thursday's hard-won accord will come to nought.
"We don't expect the enemy to abide by the agreement because the enemy is treacherous and not peaceful," said Mohammed Abdo, a fighter patrolling a Hodeida street and holding a rifle.
"Peace comes through guns," he said.
Elsewhere in the city -- in central and northern districts -- it was business as usual on Saturday with markets thronged with shoppers, but even there residents were cautious.
"Truces are always broken and the current agreement could collapse at any second," said a resident who declined to be identified.
"The talks in Sweden were a positive step in light of the humanitarian hardships of Yemen and Hodeida in particular," said shop owner Marwan Halissi.
But he too agreed that more should be done to cement the ceasefire, calling for a bigger UN role and more "pressure on coalition countries" to pave the way for a lasting settlement.
(* A K)
Fighting breaks out in Yemen's Hodeidah after truce deal
Fighting broke out on the outskirts of Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah on Friday, residents said, a day after a ceasefire agreement was reached by the warring parties at U.N.-sponsored peace talks.
Despite the ceasefire, one resident told Reuters he could hear the sound of missiles and automatic gunfire in the direction of the eastern 7th July suburb.
Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said coalition warplanes had launched two strikes on Ras Isa city north of Hodeidah. The coalition did not immediately confirm the report.
(* A K P)
Yemenis in Hodeidah hope truce holds as warring parties talk peace
Yemenis dared to hope on Friday that a ceasefire agreed in the contested port city of Hodeidah might bring a permanent end to fighting that has driven many from their homes and into an existential struggle for food and medical care.
Akram Ateeq, 31, used to support his mother, wife and child by selling fish near Hodeidah harbor but has been unable to work for six months due to battles on the outskirts of the city.
“We are happy there will be a halt to the war. We have no jobs and are living on aid. We need help,” he told Reuters.
Residents reported lingering skirmishes on the northern and eastern edges of the city on Thursday night but said Hodeidah was calm by Friday morning. Streets were largely empty at the start of the weekend.
“We are happy about the ceasefire but are worried that the fighters will not abide by it,” said teacher Iman Azzi, in her 50s. “The war has destroyed us. We want to live.”
Youssef Abdo Ali, 44, has been struggling to feed his nine children since seeking refuge in Hodeidah. “The war has wiped out everything,” he said.
(B H P)
Film: Truce in Yemen’s civil war lets aid pour into lifeline Hodeidah port
(* A K pH)
Saudi-led aggression escalates air, ground attacks during the first hours of the conclusion of the consultations: Spokesman
The army spokesman Brigadier General Yahia Sarie, said on Friday US-backed Saudi-led aggression coalition on Friday targeted air raids , artillery shelling and attempts to infiltrate mercenaries in the western coast in the 24 past hours during the first hours of the conclusion of the consultations.
In a statement, Sarie affirmed the fighter jets waged 21 strikes in conjunction with heavy artillery shelling and infiltration attempts by mercenaries especially in the western coast.
"The air raids and artillery shells on especially Yemeni western coast, Najran and the capital Sanaa" Said Sarie.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news518938.htm
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=4357&cat_id=1
and
(A K pH)
Saudis violate Hudaydah truce 21 times in 24 hours: Yemen army
Saudi Arabia and its allies have conducted 21 airstrikes on Hudaydah over the past 24 hours in violation of a truce reached on Thursday.
Yemen's army spokesman Brigadier Yahya Sare'e told al-Masirah TV on Saturday that Saudi artillery had fired more than 100 mortar shells at Hudaydah's residential areas in violation of the ceasefire.
Saudi mercenaries also tried to infiltrate Hudaydah from the west coast, but Yemeni fighters foiled their attempt, he added.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/12/15/582971/Yemen-Saudi-Arabia-Hudaydah-truce
(A K pH)
In Hodiedah, 3children were injured by bombing a cluster bomb in Al-Jarahi district.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=4357&cat_id=1
(A K pH)
3 Saudi-led air strikes hit Hodeidah
The air strikes targeted Kilo 16 area in Hali district
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news518911.htm
(A K pH)
Coalition's troops launch bombard citizens’ farms in Hodeidah
The troops of US-backed Saudi-led coalition on Friday launched air and artillery attacks in areas in the western coast a security official said.
Two air strikes hit citizens’ farms in the west of Madaman area in Tuhiata district and caused heavy damages.
The artillery force of the mercenaries of the aggression coalition shelled the same area leaving material damages.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news518895.htm
(A K pH)
saudi-led mercenaries shells civil areas in Hodeidah
The attack targeted areas in al-Hawk and Hali districts
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news518891.htm
(A K pS)
Yemen's Houthi rebels continue attacks after Hodeidah peace deal announced
Residents forced to flee after rebels stormed village in south of the province on Thursday night
Houthi rebels attacked a village in southern Hodeidah on Thursday night, hours after their representatives announced a ceasefire dealwith the Yemeni government following UN-brokered negotiations in Sweden.
Dozens of families were forced to leave Al Humainya in Haiys district after the rebels stormed the village, residents said.
"Last night while we were sleeping, Houthi fighters suddenly entered our village from areas still under their control in the neighbouring mountains in western Haiys," Faiysal Durami told The National. "They took positions on the roofs of some buildings and started shooting anything that moved in the village.
"They kept shelling from the roof of a building near my house that used to be a public health centre," another resident told The National. "My children were terrified and couldn't sleep so I decided to leave the village and look for shelter in Khokha or any other place. Living outdoors in a safe place is much better than living in a house surrounded by the Houthis."
Remark: But, the UAE-backed forces were not even much better:
(A K pH)
In Conjunction With Stockholm Declaration, Aerial Aggression Continues Its Raids on Hodeidah and Mahwit
The US-Saudi aerial aggression continued on Thursday night to launch its aggressive raids on the Yemeni people indifferent to the announcement of Sweden.
The aggression continued its raids on Hodeidah province, coinciding with the Stockholm Declaration of a ceasefire in the city port, targeting two farms belonging to a citizen of Ad-Dahi district.
While the US-Saudi mercenaries targeted 7-Yolio police department with artillery shells in Al-Hali district and Al-Samak round in Al-Hawak district.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=4345&cat_id=1
and
(A K pH)
Saudi-led mercenaries shell Hodeidah (Dec. 13)
The shelling hit Zaafran village and Mahal Shaikh
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news518822.htm
(* B H K)
Film: Rare glimpse into Yemen's bloody war
Footage captured by the Houthi rebel-backed Ansarallah Media Center and obtained by CNN, provides a rare glimpse into the bloody battle for Hodeidah, a strategic port city that is at the epicenter of Yemen's civil war. CNN's Nima Elbagir reports.
https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2018/12/13/yemen-hodeidah-families-elbagir-vpx-nr.cnn = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgJwHObh_X0
(A K pH)
Film: Air raids on the province of Hodeidah and Directorate of Nihm 12-12-2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhUpVaWFu-A
(A K pH)
In Hodeidah, 6 civilians were injured by US-Saudi mercenaries artillery shelling on residential area in Alhali district. The US-Saudi Aerial Aggression launched four raids on Durahmi district.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=4313&cat_id=1
(* B K P)
'What gives them the right to bomb us?' Exhausted Yemenis demand halt to war
A young man wide-eyed and horrified rushes into a hospital in Yemen's war-torn Hodeidah province.
We don't know his name. Only that this must be the worst day of his life.
"Is she dead," he asks as he gently strokes the head of a lifeless little girl. "She is," someone answers.
He hugs the still body of his three-year-old sister, but only briefly. There are more relatives to find.
"My wife, where is she?" he asks.
He is quickly rushed through the chaotic corridors packed with wailing wounded and weeping victims.
The man's wife is alive. But by the end of the night on December 8, he will find six of his family members dead and 12 others wounded by heavy artillery fired under Saudi-led coalition air cover, according to eyewitnesses and residents.
"I lost my brother too," he told a reporter at the scene. "His whole side was torn open, his head was split. I swear I only recognized him by his t-shirt."
The footage, captured by the Houthi rebel-backed Ansarallah Media Center and obtained by CNN, provides a rare glimpse into the bloody battle for Hodeidah (with film)
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/13/middleeast/yemen-hodeidah-hospital-intl/
(? B K)
Der gekaufte Krieg
Ein Waffenstillstand soll den Bürgerkrieg im Jemen beenden. Ein Frontbesuch nahe der Stadt Hudaida zeigt: Das Verstörende ist längst zur Normalität geworden.
Schon von Weitem tauchen die Konturen aus dem Gelbgrau der Wüste auf: zerschossene Mauern, Sandsäcke auf löchrigen Dächern, Autowracks. Ein innen blau gekacheltes Haus, von dessen Außenwänden nur noch die Betonpfeiler stehen, sieht aus wie nackt. Inmitten der Ruinen, unversehrt: eine Tankstelle. Ohne Benzin, aber immerhin.
Es ist die letzte Kreuzung vor der Kampfzone. Ihr Name könnte abwegiger kaum sein: al-Gabalija, "die Bergige". Flach zieht sich hier von Norden nach Süden die Ebene der Tihama, ein Hunderte Kilometer langer Streifen entlang des Roten Meeres, bis hin zu den im Dunst schimmernden Bergketten des südwestlichen Jemen. Zerglühtes, vergessenes Land.
Hier verläuft die wichtigste Frontlinie des Krieges. 30 Kilometer weiter gen Norden liegt Hudaida: die einzige Hafenstadt, die sich in den Händen der aufständischen Huthi-Rebellen befindet. Durch Hudaidas Hafen kommen 80 Prozent aller internationalen Hilfslieferungen und zwei Drittel der Nahrungsimporte für den gesamten Jemen. (nur im Abo)
http://www.spiegel.de/plus/jemen-der-gekaufte-krieg-a-00000000-0002-0001-0000-000161350439
und Audio: http://www.spiegel.de/plus/jemen-der-gekaufte-krieg-a-c8695405-c463-4041-88a5-d48370f3cdac
cp2 Allgemein / General
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How the Saudis Turned the Yemen War Into a Humanitarian Crisis
[Overview article]
. Is the blockade legal?
The UNHCR’s investigation concluded that there are “reasonable grounds” to conclude that it violates the proportionality rule of international humanitarian law. Under that convention, a blockade is illegitimate if its impact on civilians is disproportionate to its military benefits. The investigators reported that searches of ships by the blockading forces had turned up no weapons. For these reasons, the advocacy group Human Rights Watch earlier called on the UN Security Council to impose travel bans and asset freezes on coalition leaders, including the Saudi crown prince and defense minister, Mohammed bin Salman.
How does the coalition justify the blockade?
The coalition partners say they aim to prevent the rebels from receiving arms shipments from Iran. After the rebels in November 2017 first shot a missile targeted at the Saudi capital Riyadh, the coalition justified temporarily reinstating a total blockage of Houthi-controlled ports by arguing that missile components were entering Yemen from outside the country. Saudi officials have also expressed concern that allowing ships to call on Houthi-controlled ports gives the rebels a source of fees that help fund their war efforts.
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Demand an End to Yemen War
The successful negotiations in Sweden means the people of Yemen don’t want the fighting to continue. It also means Saudi Arabia and its partners need to lift their illegal blockade and pull their troops out of the governorate of Hodeida, which is the largest port of entry for humanitarian and commercial goods to the import-dependent country. This way, the warring sides could also strike another deal to reopen the airport in Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, at the end of January.
The world must act now to end this war and save millions of people from the brink of famine and mass starvation. If the conflict continues, then the enormity of the humanitarian task to try and keep people alive will be mind-boggling. Yemen is now on the right side of the line in terms of whether it can be resolved. But it won't stay there - if the world doesn’t address this quickly.
No doubt the problem of weapons sales and military support transcends the Yemen War and has contaminated a growing swathe of Western policy. This policy continues to be a major driver of the conflict and has routinely complicated the ongoing peace talks. It should end now.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13970924001143
Remark: From Iran.
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The toll of Yemen’s crisis
The political and humanitarian disaster in Yemen has cost tens of thousands of lives and displaced even more people. Catherine Philp and Anna Lombardi examine how four years of war has impacted all areas of the ravaged country
The human cost
Civilian casualties have been caused by all parties in the conflict, with the United Nations warning that all may be guilty of war crimes. UN experts attribute the bulk of civilian casualties to airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition. November this year was the deadliest month of the entire conflict, with a combined civilian and military death toll of more than 3,000.
Bombardment
Airstrikes began in 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition intervened on the side of ousted President Hadi against Houthi rebels. They have been most prevalent along the west coast, as coalition-backed forces battle to deny the Houthis sea access, in Sanaa, the Houthi-held capital, and in the Houthis’ northern stronghold of Saada. There have been airstrikes on civilian infrastructure such as (subscribers only)
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-toll-of-yemen-s-crisis-mknwp6c5v
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Ray Of Hope In Yemen
Thanks to the greed ignited by capitalism of the neo-imperialists that has given rise to such a situation in Yemen that the UN calls as “the world’s worst man-made humanitarian disaster.” The human cost of the conflict could have been reduced significantly, had the global powers had not kept their narrow interests above the sanctity of human lives.
Though the first sign of peace in the country has appeared quite late, it is not all wasted. The UN can bring stability to the country if the global powers, i.e., the US and Britain let go their narrow business interests.
https://nation.com.pk/15-Dec-2018/ray-of-hope-in-yemen
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How anger in Washington over Khashoggi's murder has led to progress in the Yemen conflict
Even if Trump does go on protecting the crown prince and Saudi Arabia he will look for something substantive in return. This is likely to include an end to the Yemeni war, which the US once supported primarily as a favour to the Saudis
President Trump and the White House are still standing by Saudi Arabia, but they are paying an increasingly heavy price for this protection. Republican senators as well as Democrats are leading the attack on the crown prince and the Saudi role in Yemen.
Even if Trump does go on protecting the crown prince and Saudi Arabia, he will look for something substantive in return.
A less obvious reason why the war in Yemen may come to an end is that neither side is in a position to defeat the other side.
The war has always been seen as a personal project of the crown prince
But Iranian support for the Houthis was always limited, reportedly consisting of free oil product delivered outside the country to the Houthis who then sold it for cash. It is a mistake to think that Iran or any other power in the Middle East necessarily needs to deliver arms and ammunition in crates. Much of the Middle East is a black market arms bazaar, and this has always been particularly true of Yemen. Anybody with money to pay for weapons will never lack an arms dealer willing to supply them.
The international media shamefully paid little attention to the war until the Khashoggi affair – by Patrick Cockburn
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/yemen-war-saudi-arabia-houthi-iran-donald-trump-washington-bob-corker-death-toll-jamal-khashoggi-a8683926.html = https://www.independent.ie/world-news/middle-east/how-murder-conspired-to-give-peace-a-chance-37630374.html = https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/12/18/will-anger-in-washington-over-the-murder-of-khashoggi-end-the-war-in-yemen/
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War Crimes in Our Name: A Q&A With Shireen Al-Adeimi
The outspoken advocate details the plight of her native Yemen—and explains what needs to happen to avoid further disaster.
SA: The Saudis have always intervened in the affairs of Yemen, [which has] a strategic location; it controls the Bab el-Mandeb strait, where about 4.8 million barrels of oil travel a day—largely Saudi oil. So Saudi Arabia has an interest in maintaining control over Yemen.
SA: There is no crisis right now that is more horrific than what is going on in Yemen. Half the population is facing famine.
SA: The Saudis’ line from the beginning has been that they are trying to curtail Iranian influence in the region, and that Iran is supporting the Houthis. Well, they’ve provided very little evidence to show that Iran is helping in any substantial way. We know that the Houthis have a very positive relationship with Iran, and they get media support from them. There may be some smuggling of arms, though it’s really difficult to imagine Iranians being successful at that given that the country is blockaded by land, air, and sea by the Saudis with the help of the US Navy.
From the beginning, there have been many of us calling for an independent investigation into all the crimes committed by all the people in Yemen.
The Islah Party is not absolved of any of this, but they have large factions within Yemen who support them. Saleh’s government is not absolved, the Houthis are not absolved—but they do have a lot of support in Yemen, and the people of Yemen are going to have to decide for themselves what they want moving forward without foreign intervention.
https://www.thenation.com/article/shireen-al-adeimi-interview/
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In Yemen, a ray of light amid a war’s darkness
Those involved in relief work welcomed the announced pause in fighting — something that international organizations have been demanding for months — but warned that the real struggle was only about to begin. The country’s infrastructure, woeful even before it was pounded by a relentless Saudi-led bombing campaign, is a mess. Ordinary Yemenis face shortages of food, medicine, water, electricity and much else. The ongoing Saudi blockade of the country and an inflationary crisis in which prices for basic goods have spiraled out of reach for most people have led to forecasts of an unprecedented famine potentially threatening up to 14 million Yemenis.
Paul added that there was clear evidence that Saudi bombing — and, to a lesser extent Houthi shelling — had “disproportionately damaged” food production facilities and hospitals. He faulted the United States for its “unconditional support” for Riyadh, a status quo that “communicated [that] anything goes and created a permissible environment for all factions” to carry out abuses.
Countless other miseries are piling up.
All the while, a dizzyingly complex conflict grinds on. What began as political turf battles in a failing state took on the frame of a regional proxy war
There are many reasons to be skeptical of the current diplomatic breakthrough. In the past, Yemen’s warring parties have agreed to various cease-fires, power-sharing agreements, and other truces – by Ishaan Tharoor
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The Yemeni Dead: Six Times Higher Than Previously Reported
The number of people killed by the violence in Yemen has for the first time risen above 3,000 dead in a single month, bringing the total number of fatalities to over 60,000 since the start of 2016. The figure is six times greater than the out-of-date figure of 10,000 dead often cited in the media and by politicians.
The figures do not include the Yemenis who have died through starvation or malnutrition – the country is on the brink of famine, according to the UN – or from illnesses caused by the war such as cholera.
This number of Yemenis dying in the war has been played down by the Saudi and UAE-led coalition, which has active military support from the US, UK and France, and has an interest in minimising the human cost of the conflict. The coalition has been trying since March 2015 to reinstate in power Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, whose government had been overthrown by the rebel Houthi movement in late 2014.
The 60,223 figure for those killed in the fighting is lower than the total fatalities in Yemen since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman began the Saudi intervention in March 2015 because ACLED only began its count at the beginning of 2016.
But the organisation is now also conducting a count of those killed in 2015, whom Mr Carboni says he estimated “to number between 15,000 and 20,000”. This would mean that the overall figure for fatalities as a result of violence over almost four years of war would rise to between 75,000 and 80,000.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/12/14/the-yemeni-dead-six-times-higher-than-previously-reported/
Remark: The ACLED report had been linked in Yemen War Mosaic 490: https://www.acleddata.com/2018/12/11/press-release-yemen-war-death-toll-now-exceeds-60000-according-to-latest-acled-data/
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#Yemen: An increase in vessels recently at #Aden is placing a strain on capacity and lengthening supply chains to northern areas. Reporting on 10 Dec shows 8 vessels in port with another 5 expected, whilst 10 await at anchorage
https://twitter.com/riskstaff/status/1073153051396005888
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Das große Sterben
Die Illusion einer friedlichen Lösung im Jemen
In einer Mitte November gehaltenen Ansprache log der saudische König Salman, als er behauptete, er unterstütze die Beendigung des jahrelangen Krieges, eine Vorstellung, die sowohl er als auch der Kronprinz Mohammad bin Salman und die Hardliner im Trump-Regime ablehnen. Nachdem zuvor die Feindseligkeiten gegenüber Jemens Hafenstadt al-Hudaida, der Lebensader des Landes, im Zuge einer strategischen Neuausrichtung ausgesetzt worden waren, setzten die Saudis und die Emiratis ihre terroristischen Bombardements ab dem 19. November jedoch wieder mit unverminderter Härte fort.
Ein Resolutionsentwurf der Briten im UN-Sicherheitsrat, der alle Parteien auffordert, ihre Kriegshandlungen in al-Hudaida sowie anderswo in dicht besiedelten Gebieten einzustellen, und außerdem verlangt, humanitäre Hilfe ungehindert ins Land zu lassen, wird auch dann nichts erreichen, wenn alle Mitglieder des Sicherheitsrats der Resolution zustimmen. Denn Washington, die NATO und die Saudis brechen zusammen mit ihren kriegsbesessenen Verbündeten schamlos jeden Beschluss des Sicherheitsrats sowie andere internationale Gesetze, wenn diese ihrer imperialen Agenda im Wege stehen.
Wie viele tote Jemeniten sind denn zu viele? Wie viel mehr geschändete und zerstörte Länder wird es noch brauchen, bis Washingtons imperialer Appetit endlich gestillt ist? Ist eine höhere Intelligenz mehr Fluch denn Segen? Werden uns technologisch hoch entwickelte Waffen irgendwann alle ins Verderben stürzen? – von Stephen Lendman
https://www.rubikon.news/artikel/das-grosse-sterben
Remark: The English version had been published Nov. 22: https://www.globalresearch.ca/illusion-possible-conflict-resolution-yemen/5660558.
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Ministry of Health Reveals Toll of Aggression Crimes During Talks of Sweden
The Ministry of Health confirmed on Wednesday that the US-Saudi aggression, a week after the start of the Swedish consultations, is continuing to kill Yemeni People and escalating the siege.
The ministry said in a statement that the total death toll by airstrikes and artillery shells, during the period of consultations, reached 15 citizens (7 children and 3 women) while 23 others get injured (8 children and 5 women).
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
Siehe / Look at cp1
(B H K)
Jemen: "Alle zehn Minuten stirbt ein Kind"
Seit mehr als vier Jahren tobt im Jemen ein Bürgerkrieg. Hunderttausende Menschen sind an den Folgen bereits gestorben. Hilforganisationen bezeichnen die Situation als die "schwerste humanitäre Krise der Welt". Worum geht´s in dem Konflikt und wie du helfen kannst - ein Überblick.
Hier findest du Spendenkonten um den Menschen im Jemen zu helfen.
https://www.jumpradio.de/thema/buergerkrieg-jemen-dramtische-lage-besonders-fuer-kinder-100.html
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Helfer im Fadenkreuz
Für Helfer wird es in Krisengebieten immer riskanter, Unterstützung zu den Bedürftigen zu bringen.
Die Zahl der Menschen, die während ihres Einsatzes für andere getötet wurden, erreichte 2017 mit 139 den zweithöchsten Wert der Geschichte - nur 2013 starben noch mehr Helfer.
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/hilfsorganisationen-jemen-buergerkrieg-1.4251746
(B H)
Film by Nada Al Ahdal: In my talk on the #TEDx platform #Girls #die under #torture for very small reasons How long will the #killing of girls in #Yemen continue?
https://twitter.com/nadalahdal/status/1073902127305629696
(A H)
.@YemenAid_US, in partnership with, Nahdat Shabab (local org) have distributed 400 food baskets to displaced families, in Al-Khokha district of #Hodeidah, #Yemen.
https://twitter.com/ToEducate/status/1073983203290087426
(B H)
Safe drinking water is scarce in Soun village in Aldhlea governorate as a result of the water reservoirs and underground wells being destroyed and the siege imposed by the Houthi militia.
https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1074069031722860545
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UN Department of Public Information: Regular Press Briefing by the Information Service, 14 December 2018: Yemen - Peace talks and impact for WFP
Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, referred journalists to the documents distributed on the previous day about the positive outcome of the recent consultations with the parties to the conflict in Yemen that had been held in Sweden this week.
“The World Food Programme welcomes the UN Secretary General’s announcement of military de-escalation in the governorates of Taiz and Hodeidah – two densely populated zones in Yemen which have seen some of the most intense fighting. I was in Stockholm for the first two days of the peace talks, and I would like to commend the determination of UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, and UN secretary General Antonio Guterres, in bringing the two parties to the negotiating table to make progress for millions of Yemenis. The warring parties have committed to an immediate ceasefire in the port city of Hodeidah and its surrounding governorate at the end of the weeklong peace talks.
A province-wide ceasefire in Hodeidah - the principal lifeline for two thirds of the country - should mean better humanitarian access and a sustained flow of food, fuel and commercial and humanitarian goods to the war-stricken population. This agreement has the potential to allow the ports of Hodeidah and Saleef to operate at near-normal capacity. The free flow of commercial food supplies into Yemen should prevent further increases in food prices which have skyrocketed.
In the most recent food security assessment (IPC), hunger was more severe in active conflict zones with some of the worst-affected areas in Hodeidah, According to the 06 December IPC report, without humanitarian access in Hodeidah we will see 69 percent of the population - 2.048 million people - in IPC Phase 3 (crisis) or above, 1.02 million of which in IPC Phase 4, and 23,000 in IPC Phase 5, Emergency. Last month, WFP targeted nearly 800,000 people in Hodeidah with either commodity vouchers or in-kind food assistance.
The enclave in Taiz city, which has also seen heavy fighting since the beginning of the conflict, has remained an area which has posed serious access challenges for WFP operations. Without humanitarian food assistance, 73 percent of the population (2.244 million people) would end up in IPC phase 3 or above, 1.294 million in phase 4, and 45,000 people living in near-famine conditions (IPC Phase 5)
Hodeidah and Taiz will benefit the most from this ceasefire
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The Yemen War in Charts
A collection of charts, maps and graphs explaining the Yemen war.
Below is a collection of graphs, maps and charts, collected from a wide variety of sources, exploring the brutal conflict and its horrendous human cost.
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International Committee of the Red Cross: Yemen: Ceasefire Cannot Come Soon Enough
No child should be brought to the brink of starvation by war, no parent should have to witness their child struggle between life and death because conflict has denied her the food she needs to survive.
“Suddenly she couldn’t move anymore,” says desperately worried Abdallah al-Awami. Abdallah who comes from Hodeida, and whose malnourished nine year old daughter Malaki is in hospital in Sana’a. “She had diarrhea, she could not control it.”
Abdallah has a picture of his beautiful daughter in better times. “She was playing, she was just fine before. Look at her, how she looked before and how she looks now!“
Yemen’s remaining hospitals are packed with such patients: for them too the ceasefire is crucial. For months dedicated medical staff, with support from the ICRC, have struggled to keep going, despite the violence, and despite massive shortages of medicines, supplies, and fuel. Al Thawrah hospital in Hodeida itself has been especially badly affected.
“This hospital was really exposed to violence and to the conflict, but so far, we’ve managed to keep it functioning,” explains Fabrizio Carboni, the ICRC’s Regional Director for the Near and Middle East . “I talked to patients, I saw it was really crowded; it’s the main general hospital in Hodeida and in the area, so it needs to stay protected and to continue to be an open hospital for the patients of the city.”
The needs in Yemen are unprecedented
No child should have to beg for mercy. Yemen’s malnourished children don’t even have the strength to beg (with film)
http://www.icrcnewsroom.org/open.asp?ID=2682&title=Yemen__Ceasefire_Cannot_Come_Soon_Enough&mID=0o0h67g.1115839868228x0422.58 = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-ceasefire-cannot-come-soon-enough
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New US$140 Million Support for Ongoing Emergency Cash Transfers in Yemen
The World Bank announced a new US$140 million grant to maintain the delivery of emergency cash transfers to 1.5 million poor and most vulnerable Yemeni households, covering a total of 9 million individuals. The new grant is from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank fund for the world’s poorest countries.
The new grant is the third additional financing for the ongoing Emergency Crisis Response Project.
“A regular source of income is crucial for vulnerable families so that they can keep children in school and purchase food and medicine,” said Dr. Raja Bentaouet Kattan, World Bank Country Manager for Yemen.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/new-us140-million-support-ongoing-emergency-cash-transfers-yemen
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Film: UNICEF: 'Close to 2 million Yemeni children are acutely malnourished'
https://www.dw.com/en/yemen-clashes-threaten-ceasefire-in-hodeida/a-46752560
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Yemeni mothers forced to choose which child starves, says aid group
Mothers are being forced to leave their children to starve as they face a "catastrophic" shortage of food in war-torn Yemen, a humanitarian group said on Thursday.
"We are very much aware that the situation right now is catastrophic," Valentina Ferrante, the group's country director for Yemen, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
"If a family does not have the necessary economic resources to feed the entire family then they will select who to feed.
"Sometimes you get up to a point where a mother is literally forced not to feed certain members of the family, most probably the youngest one."
Ferrante said the biggest in challenge in delivering humanitarian aid was not money but gaining safe access to conflict areas which were being hit by airstrikes.
"We need to pass the message that we are neutral, so we are not involved in politics, we just need to deliver high-quality humanitarian aid interventions," she said.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-conflict-children/yemeni-mothers-forced-to-choose-which-child-starves-says-aid-group-idUSKBN1OC2OC = http://news.trust.org/item/20181213192753-lhe44/
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Sterben im Jemen: "Wir müssen unsere Stimmen weiter erheben."
Bündnisorganisationen von "Aktion Deutschland Hilft" leisten humanitäre Hilfe
"Würden wir für jedes Kind, das im Jemen durch den Krieg sein Leben verloren hat, eine Gedenkminute einlegen, wäre es bis März still. Doch wir müssen unsere Stimmen erheben und dafür Sorge tragen, dass nicht noch mehr Mädchen und Jungen ihr Leben verlieren", so Manuela Roßbach, geschäftsführender Vorstand von "Aktion Deutschland Hilft". Roßbach betont, dass eine Waffenruhe für die Zivilbevölkerung dringend notwendig sei, damit den Menschen im Land geholfen werden kann.
Im Jemen sind inzwischen mindestens 100.000 Mädchen und Jungen an Folgen des Krieges gestorben: Durch Bomben, an Hunger, Cholera oder andere Krankheiten.
"Weit entfernt von einer Lösung des Konflikts. Doch zum Warten bleibt keine Zeit"
Mehr als 22 Millionen Menschen benötigen humanitäre Hilfe. Die Hälfte sind Kinder.
Eine Bildergalerie finden Sie hier: https://mediathek.aktion-deutschland-hilft.de/?c=733&k=70fd7aed9a
Die multimediale Reportage "Jemen: Ein Land am Abgrund" finden Sie hier: https://adh.ngo/reportage-jemen
Das YouTube-Video "Unsere Bündnisse leisten Hilfe im Jemen" sehen Sie hier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hGhxgYknmM
"Aktion Deutschland Hilft" nimmt Spenden für die Not leidende Bevölkerung im Jemen auf:
Stichwort "Hunger im Jemen"
IBAN: DE62 3702 0500 0000 1020 30 (Bank für Sozialwirtschaft)
Spendenhotline: 0900 55 102030 (kostenfrei aus dem dt. Festnetz,
Mobilfunk höher)
Online spenden unter: www.Aktion-Deutschland-Hilft.de
https://www.presseportal.de/pm/50116/4142514
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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: Yemen: Humanitarian Dashboard (January - October 2018)
Yemen is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Approximately 22.2 million people - 75 per cent of the population - are in need of humanitarian assistance. A total of 17.8 million people are food insecure and 8.4 million people do not know how they will obtain their next meal. Conflict, protracted displacement, disease and deprivation continue to inflict suffering on the country’s population. Disruption to commercial imports, inflation, lack of salary payment to civil servants and rising prices of basic commodities exacerbate people’s vulnerability.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-dashboard-january-october-2018
(B H)
Yemen: Organizations 3W Operational Presence (October 2018)
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-organizations-3w-operational-presence-october-2018
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
Siehe / Look at cp1
(A H)
Kurdistan authorities free 20 Yemenis
Authorities of Kurdistan Region have released 20 Yemenis who were arrested while they were trying to smuggle to Turkey.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-26095
(B H)
Film, Arabic: the suffering of the displaced in the province of Rima 13-12-2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZyU7mI1Xyg
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International Organization for Migration: A Life and Death Struggle Transiting Through the Horn of Africa
An important seaport country in the Horn of Africa occupied by less than a million people, Djibouti is at the crossroads of one of the most transited and increasingly dangerous migration routes in the world.
For many who attempt the trip to the Gulf, it is a matter of life or death. Since the beginning of 2014, International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Missing Migrants Project has recorded more than 700 deaths in the Gulf of Aden. Far more are turned back from Yemen’s shores.
Of the 150,000 migrants who successfully reached Yemen’s shores in 2018, many have become targets for human traffickers, caught in violence from the conflict or locked up in poorly-maintained detention centres.
On the backstreets of Djibouti’s capital, Djibouti City, migrant children beg while trying to etch out a survival. Some wait for intricate schemes orchestrated by smuggling groups who bring them on dangerous journeys into war-torn Yemen, with false hopes of free entry into Saudi Arabia. This route is one of the most youthful in the world with approximately 20 per cent of those who reached Yemen this year are minors, many unaccompanied, making
A spike in movement in and out of Djibouti over the past six months, and continued protection concerns on this route, predict a looming humanitarian crisis along the Eastern Route.
https://reliefweb.int/report/djibouti/life-and-death-struggle-transiting-through-horn-africa
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
(A P)
Houthis threats A day after the signing of the Sweden agreement
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti the leader in Houthi group , threatened on Saturday to continue military action against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, one day after Sweden's consultations under UN auspices.
The member of the Political council Mohammed al- Bukhaiti said in his blog on his Facebook page, "we swear that we will soon walk in the streets of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi and the streets of Jerusalem after we conquer them with god well."
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/162155
My comment: Loudmouthed stupidity, having nothing to do with Yemeni reality.
(A P)
Houthis violate peace in real time, kill 2 women in Taiz
members of the terrorist religious group in Yemen's central city of Taiz blew up a house killing two women and injuring others inside.
A local source told Yemen's national news agency 'Saba' the militants laced the house with landmines and detonated it remotely killing and injuring the inhabitants of the house.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-26093
(A P)
#Houthi militia gunmen have stormed the house of Brigadier General Khalid Al-Jaifi, the brother of former General Ali Bin Ali Al-Jaifi - commander of the Reserve Forces . The militia gunmen looted the house and the car he was given by MoD.
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1073963770878328833
(B P)
Film: Brutal torture in #Houthi detention camps and terrifying details. Watch this video..
https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1073616499145871361
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Who are Yemen’s Houthis?
A key Zaydi belief is that only blood relatives of Ali and Fatima are eligible to serve as religious leaders, or imams. In Yemen, these relatives form a notable class of people called Sada. Hussein al-Houthi, the first leader of the Houthis, came from a prestigious clan of Sada.
Not all Zaydis have a favorable view of Sada elites. When north and south Yemen merged in 1990, the republican government, led by a Zaydi president sought to reduce their outsized influence and limit their privileges.
Some members of the Sada reacted to the country’s changing political landscape by joining electoral politics to secure honor and exercise power. This path was initially followed by Hussein al-Houthi but, after he decided it was ineffective, he abandoned it.
Other members of the Sada, particularly the youth, reacted by pledging to teach and promote Zaydism among their peers who had forgotten their ancestors’ religion. To accomplish this, they founded the Believing Youth organization and set up a cultural education program based on a network of summer camps in the north. Hussein al-Houthi joined this organization in the early 2000s and later transformed it into a political movement critical of the Yemeni government’s ties to the West.
Houthis continue to focus on protecting the Zaydi region of north Yemen from state control. However, they have also forged coalitions with other groups – some of them Sunni – unhappy with Yemen’s persistent high unemployment and corruption.
http://theconversation.com/who-are-yemens-houthis-106423
My comment: It’s not only about religion.
(* A P)
Mothers of Abductees association: we are waiting for our sons out of prisons
Thousands of Yemeni abductees and prisoners in front of difficult and decisive days, the last round of consultations gave them a glimmer of hope, but the abductees mothers are fearful and anxious that the implementation of the agreement will be stalled.
"The agreement between the parties to the negotiations on the issue of the exchange of prisoners and abductees has given the abductees mothers optimism and great hope that they will be able to hug their relatives outside the prisons," said Amat al-Salam al-Haj, president of the association.
But she expresses concern and fear that the agreement will be stalled as many of the previous agreements have faltered
Amat al-Salam, who touched the suffering of the abductees and the captives closely by visiting almost all the prisons in Sana'a says that she was hoping to release the kidnapped and abducted from their homes or their places of business without connecting their freedom to the issue of prisoners of war, and wish to pressure the international institutions to visit the prisons to learn about the suffering that abductees face in prisons and to listen to the brutal violations and torture campaigns they have endured over the past period.
The association and over the past years has been monitoring and documenting cases of abduction and enforced disappearance of thousands of detainees in Houthi prisons and has tried to reach out to the world for the families of the detainees.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/162142
(A P)
Houthis carry out raids and kidnappings in the villages of "Wesab Al-‘aley"
Houthi group has launched a campaign of kidnappings for the past two days among the residents of the Wesab -Al-‘aley in Dhamar, and kidnapped three residents of the village of ' al-'sady- seclusion of Jaar after raiding a “Consolation ceremony” in the village for 3 members of the National army were killed in “Sa’dah” confrontations with Houthis.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/162081
(A P)
Al-Marwani resigns from Central security command sparks friction in al-Houthi wings
A private source revealed the eruption of disagreements within Houthi group over the resignation of Maj. Gen. Abdulrazak al-Marwani, from the Central Security Forces Command.
The source, who requested anonymity, indicated that General al- Marwani had resigned a few days earlier to protest the confiscation of decision making authority by his deputy Al-Ysani.
"Any order issued by the Marwani can only be executed after the approval of Al-Ysani’s signature."
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/162108
(A P)
Human rights activists reported the abduction of two civilians in Sana'a. The Houthis have abducted an employee of the Water Ministry, Abdul Karim Aleryani, and the manager of the Alsteen branch of CAC Bank, Ghassan Abu Ghan.
https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1073284379949105154
(A P)
Human Rights Minister inspects Central Reformatory Sanaa
Minister of Human Rights Aliya Abdullatif on Thursday inspected the conditions of inmates at the Central Reformatory and its facilities in the capital Sanaa.
During the visit, the minister was breifed on the health and humanitarian situation in the reformatory, as well as the services provided and their compatibility with national and international human rights standards.
Abdullatif stressed the need for communicating with the concerned national and international bodies to provide the needs and requirements of the reformatory, praising the role of the reformatory administration in presenting the necessary services to the inmates.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news518794.htm
My comment: Up to now, just a figleaf.
(A P)
Parliament discusses report on oil derivatives crisis
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news518687.htm
My comment: Parliament at Sanaa is still working, but hardly will meet the quorum.
(A P)
Foreign Forces’ Presence in Yemen Unjustifiable: Ansarullah
Speaking to the Arabic-language al-Masirah TV on Tuesday night, Abdulsalam said the foreign troops’ presence in Yemen is contrary to the country’s constitution and UN Security Council resolutions.
“The presence of foreign forces in Yemen is not justified as long as our approach is political settlement (of the crisis),” he said.
Yemen’s occupied areas are now controlled by foreigners such as British, Saudi and Emirati forces, not a group that calls itself “legitimate”, he added, referring to the Yemeni exiled government which claims legitimacy.
(B P)
CPJ: Yemeni journalists imprisoned by Houthis for their work
A report issued by the Committee to protect Journalists today, Thursday, has stated that a number of Yemeni journalists are still languishing inside prisons of the Houthi Movement.
The –Iran-backed Houthi Movement has been detaining 16 Yemeni journalists since more than four years. They were subjected to enforced disappearance and torture.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-26047
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
(A P)
[Southern separatists propagate their “Security Belt” militia]
Two Leading Terrorists of Al-Qaeda Killed in Abian
https://en.smanews.org/two-leading-terrorists-of-al-qaeda-killed-in-abian
Security Belt Confiscates Weapons Coming from Mareb and Heading to East Aden
https://en.smanews.org/security-belt-confiscates-weapons-coming-from-mareb-and-heading-to-east-aden
(A P)
With Participation of Al-Gaadi, Legal Department of the Southern Transitional Council Organizes the Closing Ceremony of “No Violence Against Women” Campaign
(A P)
Al-Huraibi Uncovers the Role of the Yemeni Occupation Lobby to Attract Southern Citizens in Diaspora under “Regional Justifications”
Yemeni occupation powers kept rising regional conflicts among southern citizens according to the notion of “Divide and Conquer”.
In a special release to SMA News, Mohamed Al-Huraibi, a southern media man and chairman of SMA News, said: “Yemeni occupation powers, through their relations with southern figures in diaspora loyal to them, kept attracting young men, especially from Abian and Yafea, to target the Southern Transitional Council. We warned against that previously, especial in Saudi Arabia, under the notion of “Regional Justifications”.
(A P)
Families of assassinations victims create association in Aden
Families of assassination victims declared on Thursday the creation of the Association of Assassination Victims’ Families in Aden.
During the declaration event, the victims’ families called on the Yemeni authorities to shoulder their responsibilities, identify the perpetrators and those who support them, and then bring them to justice.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-26048
(A T)
Emirati-backed al Hizam Security Forces killed two al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) commanders in Mudia district, Abyan governorate, southern Yemen on December 11.[2]
(* B P)
Yemen’s port city of Aden shows challenge of peace
Yemen's government nearly saw itself pushed into the sea by advancing rebels here three years ago. Now the port city of Aden shows the challenges that will likely still plague the nation following any potential peace agreement.
foreign journalists on a tour organized by the Saudi-led military coalition saw a city needing huge sums of money and aid. A Central Bank official spoke of a hoped-for infusion of $3 billion by Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, underscoring the long road ahead for the Arab world's poorest country as U.S. lawmakers grow increasingly uneasy about America's role in the conflict.
"The road ahead is extremely difficult," said Adam Baron, a Yemen analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations and the Washington-based think tank New America. "Security issues remain extremely perilous in the city of Aden, the economy remains in deep trouble and the currency continues to fluctuate."
On the surface, life appears to be humming on in Aden. Fishermen secure their catches in the sun-soaked waters of the Gulf of Aden. Cashiers thump through giant wads of cash at the Central Bank.
But Yemen's currency, though making recent gains, has heavily depreciated in the war.
"We need international support in the upcoming year to fill the gap and allow us to pay salaries to Yemeni citizens," said Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, the prime minister of Yemen's internationally recognized government
However, more conflicts lurk just beneath the war. Throughout Aden, murals bore the flag of the former Communist South Yemen. Even soldiers escorting foreign journalists in Aden flew the tricolor red, white and black flag, its light blue chevron and red star flapping in the wind.
"It's quite clear that many Southern secessionists are now empowered; the key moving forward is going to be the solution to the southern issue," said Baron, the Yemen analyst. "Yemen will not have any sort of wider-range stability until the southern issue is dealt with in some form, and I think that's something obvious that you can't ignore if you're walking or driving through the streets of Aden."
https://www.islandpacket.com/news/business/article223048095.html = https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article223048095.html
(A T)
CT efforts are still underway in #Yemen. #UAE-backed Yemeni forces began the wonderfully named "Operation Crushing Revenge" to clear pockets of #AQAP from Abyan governorate in southern Yemen on 09 DEC. Efforts are currently concentrated in northern valleys and mountains of Mudia.
https://twitter.com/MaherFarrukh/status/1072913281445175297
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
Siehe / Look at cp1
(Oben: Deutsch / Below: English)
(* A P)
UN-Resolution soll Waffenruhe im Jemen stärken
Der UN-Sicherheitsrat will die Waffenruhe für den Hafen Hudaida im Bürgerkriegsland Jemen mit einer schnell zu verabschiedenden Resolution stärken. Es gebe «keine Zeit zu verlieren», sagte Großbritanniens UN-Botschafterin Karen Pierce am Freitag in einer Ratssitzung zum Thema. Unterstützung signalisierten unter anderem die USA, Frankreich, die Niederlande und Schweden.
Der von Großbritannien vorgelegte Resolutionsentwurf sieht vor, die in vergangenen Tagen ausgehandelte Waffenruhe für Hudaida zu unterstützen. Auch mit deren Einhaltung sowie nächsten Schritten soll sich die Resolution befassen. Entscheiden müsste der Rat außerdem, ob zur Überwachung der Waffenruhe Experten ins Land geschickt werden.
http://www.trt.net.tr/deutsch/welt/2018/12/15/un-resolution-soll-waffenruhe-im-jemen-starken-1107517
(* A P)
Konfliktparteien im Jemen wollen sich Ende Jänner erneut treffen
Nach ihrer Vereinbarung auf eine Waffenruhe für den strategisch wichtigen Hafen Hodeidah im Bürgerkriegsland Jemen wollen sich die Konfliktparteien Ende Jänner erneut treffen. Das kündigte der UNO-Sondergesandte Martin Griffiths in einer Sitzung des Sicherheitsrats am Freitag an. Griffiths war per Videotelefon aus der jordanischen Hauptstadt Amman zugeschaltet.
Die in den vergangenen Tagen ausgehandelte Waffenruhe müsse streng überwacht werden, forderte Griffiths. Diese Überprüfung sei der „Schlüssel, um Vertrauen aufzubauen“. UNO-Behörden arbeiteten derzeit an Details, um Beobachter in die Region zu schicken. Über solch eine Entsendung müsste dann der Sicherheitsrat entscheiden.
https://www.tt.com/ticker/15129172/konfliktparteien-im-jemen-wollen-sich-ende-jaenner-erneut-treffen
(** A P)
Durchbruch in Schweden
Neue Hoffnung für Jemen: Kriegsparteien einigen sich auf Waffenstillstand in Hodeida und Gefangenenaustausch. US-Senat gegen Saudi-Arabien
Zum ersten Mal seit Beginn des Jemen-Krieges vor über vier Jahren sind Fortschritte auf dem Weg zu einer Friedenslösung erkennbar. Die Ergebnisse der achttägigen Gespräche im nördlich von Stockholm gelegenen Rimbo zwischen der jemenitischen »Exilregierung« und ihren Gegnern, die am Donnerstag abend bekannt wurden, übertreffen die ursprünglich niedrig gehängten Erwartungen bei weitem. Nahezu alle »vertrauensbildenden Maßnahmen«, die der UN-Vermittler Martin Griffith erreichen wollte, wurden tatsächlich vereinbart. Indessen bleiben zentrale Fragen, die einer Beendigung des Krieges im Wege stehen, weiter offen. Sie sollen Gegenstand der nächsten Gesprächsrunde, vermutlich schon im Januar, sein.
Im Zentrum der Diskussionen stand die Lage in Hodeida.
Die auf Schloss Johannesberg erreichten Vereinbarungen sehen vor, dass in Hodeida und in der gesamten gleichnamigen Verwaltungseinheit sofort ein Waffenstillstand in Kraft tritt. Die gegnerischen Kräfte sollen innerhalb von höchstens drei Wochen von der Front abgezogen und in die Umgebung der Stadt verlegt werden. Die Sicherheit in Hodeida soll von »örtlichen Kräften« gewährleistet werden, bei denen es sich nach Lage der Dinge vermutlich überwiegend um Anhänger und Verbündete von Ansarollah handeln wird. Als übergeordnete Instanz soll unter Vorsitz der UNO ein Ausschuss gebildet werden, der aus den jemenitischen Kriegsgegnern bestehen soll. Bei der Kontrolle über die Hafenanlagen von Hodeida und Umgebung soll die UNO eine »führende Rolle« spielen. Die Einkünfte aus dem Hafenbetrieb sollen bei der Filiale der Zentralbank des Jemen in Hodeida gesammelt werden und zur Bezahlung der Staatsbeschäftigten dienen, von denen viele seit Monaten kein Gehalt mehr bekommen haben.
Ein weiterer zentraler Punkt der Vereinbarungen ist ein Gefangenenaustausch,
https://www.jungewelt.de/artikel/345463.durchbruch-in-schweden.html
(** A K P)
Waffenstillstand in Jemen: Der Druck auf Riad macht sich bezahlt
Die Kriegsgegner in Jemen einigen sich auf Waffenstillstand für die Hafenstadt Hudeida. Bisher scheiterten alle Bemühungen, den Krieg zu beenden, an der harten Haltung der Konfliktparteien und ihrer Unterstützer.
Dabei einigten sich Vertreter der international anerkannten Regierung und der Huthi-Rebellen auf wichtige Schritte, um die humanitäre Versorgung des Landes zu erleichtern und den Weg für ein Ende des Konflikts zu ebnen.
Beide Seiten vereinbarten eine Waffenruhe für die Hafenstadt Hudeida. Zudem willigten sie in die Öffnung eines humanitären Korridors in das geteilte und belagerte Taiz ein, die drittgrösste Stadt des Landes. Darüber hinaus verständigten sich die Unterhändler auf einen Gefangenenaustausch.
Die Vereinbarung über Hudeida sehe einen beiderseitigen Truppenabzug aus der Hafenstadt und einen Waffenstillstand für die gesamte gleichnamige Provinz vor, sagte Guterres. Gemäss der Vereinbarung wird die Uno eine führende Rolle in der Inspektion der Häfen von Hudeida, Salif und Ras Issa übernehmen. Sie soll den humanitären Zugang und die Lebensbedingungen von Millionen von Jemeniten erleichtern. Die Einnahmen aus den Häfen sollen an die Filiale der Zentralbank in Hudeida fliessen, um die Gehälter der Angestellten und Rentner in den Huthi-Gebieten zu zahlen.
Keine Einigung über Flughafen
Freilassung von Gefangenen
https://www.nzz.ch/international/der-druck-auf-riad-macht-sich-bezahlt-ld.1444711
(* A B P)
Das Elend etwas lindern
Eine Waffenruhe in der Hafenstadt Hudaida kann das Leben von Millionen Menschen im Jemen etwas bessern. Doch ein wirkliches Ende des Krieges ist nicht in Sicht.
Die Kriegsgegner einigten sich am Donnerstag auf den derzeit wichtigsten Punkt der Verhandlungen: die Schonung und Entmilitarisierung der Hafenstadt Hudaida, dem zentralen Versorgungsknoten des Landes. Das werde die Lebensbedingungen für Millionen Jemeniten verbessern, erklärte Guterres und sprach von einem wirklichen Fortschritt.
Trotzdem macht sich der erfahrene Krisendiplomat Griffiths keine Illusionen über den langen Weg, der vor ihm liegt. Die wirklich harten Themen lagen bisher noch gar nicht auf dem Tisch. Schon die komplexe Entmilitarisierung des Hafens von Hudaida in den nächsten Tagen und Wochen wird zeigen, wie weit der echte Friedenswille tatsächlich reicht. Denn auf beiden Seiten dominieren starke Kräfte, die an dem Krieg prächtig verdienen und denen das Schicksal der geschundenen Bevölkerung völlig egal ist.
https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2018-12/friedensgespraeche-jemen-konflikt-waffenruhe-hodeida
und (verkürzt) http://www.fr.de/politik/jemen-erster-schritt-in-richtung-frieden-a-1637940
(* A P)
Film: Gespräche zum Konflikt im Jemen beendet: Frieden in Hudaida
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1naqk1FX1rk
(* B H P)
Gastkommentar: Hudeida ist nur ein erster Schritt für den Jemen
Das Elend im Jemen ist inzwischen unbeschreiblich. Selbst wenn morgen Frieden wäre, geht es nicht ohne massive Hilfe von außen
Die Waffenruhe, welche die zwei Kriegsparteien im Jemen für die wichtige Hafenstadt Hudeida vereinbart haben, ist ein guter Anfang. Für die leidende Bevölkerung im Land ist er aber nur ein Tropfen auf den heißen Stein. Denn an ihrer bedrohlichen Lage wird die Waffenruhe allein wenig ändern. Dazu wären weitere Schritte erforderlich: etwa dass der Flughafen Sanaa wieder für Flüge aus dem Ausland geöffnet wird, dass die Waffenruhe über Hudeida hinaus ausgeweitet wird und dass die Gehälter wieder ausbezahlt werden, damit die Menschen wieder Lebensmittel einkaufen können.
Die Waffenruhe für Hudeida ist jedoch ein wichtiges und positives Signal.
Damit die Waffenruhe etwas ändern würde, müssten zudem Saudi-Arabien und die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate, die Krieg gegen die Huthi-Rebellen führen, davon Abstand nehmen, die Hilfsschiffe, die den von den Huthis kontrollierten Hafen anlaufen, auf See einzeln und langwierig zu kontrollieren.
Selbst wenn mehr Hilfsgüter für die Bevölkerung, von denen drei Viertel auf staatliche Lebensmittelzuteilungen angewiesen sind, ins Land kommen, bleiben diese an den vielen Straßenkontrollen hängen und geht es grundsätzlich im Jemen nur langsam vorwärts. Gerade auch deshalb ist mehr erforderlich als die Waffenruhe für Hudeida – von Rainer Hermann
https://www.dw.com/de/gastkommentar-hudeida-ist-nur-ein-erster-schritt-f%C3%BCr-den-jemen/a-46737773
(A P)
Saudi-Arabien begrüßt Waffenruhe für wichtigen Hafen im Jemen
(* A P)
Waffenruhe für Hafenstadt im Jemen vereinbart
Die Konfliktparteien im Jemen haben eine Waffenruhe für die umkämpfte Hafenstadt Hodeida vereinbart. Darauf hätten sich die Kriegsparteien bei ihren Friedensverhandlungen in der schwedischen Stadt Rimbo geeinigt, sagte UN-Generalsekretär António Guterres.
Alle Kämpfer aus dem Hafen der gleichnamigen Stadt sollen abgezogen werden. Der Hafen ist zentral für die Versorgung des Landes, das unter einer schweren humanitären Krise leidet.
Das sei ein wichtiger Schritt hin zu nachhaltigen Friedensverhandlungen, sagte Guterres. Die UN werden bei der Kontrolle des Hafens eine "Schlüsselrolle" spielen, um die Hilfslieferungen zu erleichtern, so Guterres weiter.
https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/jemen-683.html
(* A P)
Hoffnung in der Not: Waffenruhe für zentralen Hafen im Jemen
Die schiitischen Huthi-Rebellen und die Regierung einigten sich bei den Friedensgesprächen in Schweden auf eine Waffenruhe für die strategisch wichtige Hafenstadt Hudaida, wie UN-Generalsekretär António Guterres erklärte. Auch die Truppen der Kriegsparteien würden abziehen. Stattdessen sollen die Vereinten Nationen dort eine führende Rolle übernehmen.
Die Einigung werde den Zugang von humanitärer Hilfe und den Strom von Gütern ermöglichen, sagte Guterres weiter. "Das wird die Lebensbedingungen für Millionen Jemeniten verbessern." Unklar ist zunächst, wann der Hafen wieder geöffnet wird.
(* A P)
Waffenruhe für zentralen Hafen vereinbart
Bei den Jemen-Friedensgesprächen in Schweden haben sich die aufständischen Huthi-Milizen und die international anerkannte Regierung auf eine Waffenruhe für die strategisch wichtige Hafenstadt Houdaida geeinigt. Das Abkommen sehe auch eine beiderseitige Truppenverlagerung vor, sagte UN-Generalsekretär António Guterres am Donnerstag am Verhandlungsort Rimbo nördlich der schwedischen Hauptstadt Stockholm. Demnach werden sich Regierungseinheiten und Rebellenkämpfer aus der Stadt und dem Hafen zurückziehen. Zudem ist eine Feuerpause in der gesamten Provinz vorgesehen.
und auch
(* A P)
UNO: Konfliktparteien im Jemen vereinbaren Waffenruhe für Hodeida
Die Einigung bleibe bis zu ihrer Umsetzung durch die Gegenseite "hypothetisch", sagte der jemenitische Außenminister al-Jamani kurze Zeit später vor Journalisten. "Wir nehmen an, dass die andere Seite abzieht", sagte er.
Der UN-Sondergesandte Martin Griffiths hatte zuvor gesagt, der Abzug aller Truppen solle "binnen Tagen" erfolgen. Griffiths will am Freitag den UN-Sicherheitsrat zum Jemen unterrichten.
(* A P)
Auch Vereinbarung zu Taes
Guterres sagte, die Konfliktparteien hätten neben dem Waffenstillstand in Hodeida auch eine Vereinbarung zur drittgrössten jemenitischen Stadt Taes erzielt, die ebenfalls Schauplatz heftiger Kämpfe gewesen ist.
Eine zweite Verhandlungsrunde sei für Ende Januar geplant, fügte der Uno-Generalsekretär hinzu. "Wir haben uns darauf geeinigt, beim nächsten Treffen Gespräche über einen Verhandlungsrahmen zu führen", sagte Guterres vor den beiden Delegationen.
(* A P)
Bürgerkriegsparteien im Jemen einigen sich auf Öffnung von Flughafen
Im Jemen soll als weiteres Zeichen des guten Willens zur Beendigung des Bürgerkrieges der Flughafen in der Hauptstadt Sanaa wiedereröffnet werden.
Das verlautete am Mittwoch aus Kreisen der Friedensgespräche in Schweden.
https://de.reuters.com/article/jemen-friedensgespr-ch-idDEKBN1OB275
(* A B P)
Dem Hungertod ausgeliefert
Die Stockholmer Verhandlungen führen zu einem Gefangenenaustausch, doch bleibt humanitäre Hilfe blockiert
Nur was geschieht wie schnell, um einen verheerenden Bürgerkrieg zu beenden, der Millionen dem Hungertod ausliefert? Schon bald werde man die entscheidende Möglichkeit haben, einen Friedensprozess in Gang zu bringen, räsoniert Griffiths vor Journalisten. Zunächst müsse es vertrauensbildende Maßnahmen geben: Neben dem Gefangenenaustausch die Wiedereröffnung des Flughafens von Sanaa und die Übernahme des Hafen von al Hudaida durch die Vereinten Nationen. An dessen Kais müssten Hilfsgüter entladen werden.
Im Moment ist dank der Sondierungen in Schweden der Kampf um das belagerte al Hudaida ausgesetzt.
Er hoffe, dass die erste Phase der Gespräche in einer Resolution des UN-Sicherheitsrates gipfeln werde, die einen Waffenstillstand empfiehlt, so Griffiths. Der würde auf ein Ende der Bombardements durch die saudische Luftwaffe hinauslaufen. Im Gegenzug müssten sich die Huthi bereitfinden, keine Raketen mehr auf Saudi-Arabien abzuschießen. Ob das gelingt, erscheint fraglich
UN-Emissär Griffiths sieht nur einen Ausweg: Man müsse den Al-Hudaida- aus dem Jemen-Konflikt herauslösen, um eine humanitäre Katastrophe zu verhindern.
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/the-guardian/dem-hungertod-ausgeliefert
(* A P)
Erste Runde der Friedensgespräche für Jemen geht zu Ende
Für die Uno ist der Bürgerkrieg im Jemen die größte humanitäre Krise der Welt. Zum Ende der Verhandlungen über eine Lösung des Konflikts ist nun Generalsekretär Guterres nach Schweden gereist.
Die erste Runde der Beratungen über Frieden im Bürgerkriegsland Jemen steht vor dem Abschluss. Zum geplanten Ende der Friedensverhandlungen am Donnerstag in Schweden ist auch Uno-Generalsekretär António Guterres angereist.
(* A P)
Press TV Iran: Hudaydah Truce
https://www.facebook.com/marwa.osman.7186/videos/10156653467455926/?
(* A K P)
Security Council Prepares to Support Griffiths' Peace Plan in Yemen
Western diplomats expect members of the UN Security Council to vote within days, most likely on Wednesday, on a draft resolution on the deals struck by Yemen’s warring parties.
(* A K P)
Yemen’s Houthis dismiss UN claims about final truce in Hudaydah
The spokesman of Yemen’s ruling Houthi Ansarullah movement has expressed doubts about United Nations' assertions about a recent peace deal on the war-torn city of Hudaydah, saying the agreement for implementing a ceasefire in the northwestern port city is yet to be finalized.
In a detailed interview with the Press TV, Mohammed Abdul Salam, who represented the Houthis in the recent UN-sponsored peace talks in Sweden, said the agreement on Hudaydah […]was just a deal on the main issues involved and there was no binding agreement on how to implement the ceasefire in the port city.
Contradictory to the UN statements, Abdul Salam told Press TV’s Robert Carter that no final agreement had been reached on Hudaydah and that the talks were far from over.
“If we want to describe the manner of talking with the UN then I’d say yes, we’re close from certain issues in politics, economy, and humanitarian aid, but how it would be implemented depends on the other party, and the question lies if they’re ready to do so,” said Abdul Salem, who led the Sana'a delegation to the talks.
“Concerning Hudaydah, we made progress in terms of form and ideas, but in the content there was nothing. In the issue of the general spectrum, we had progress in ideas, but there were no agreements,” he added.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/12/15/583038/Yemen-peace-talks-Sweden-Ansrullah-Hudaydah
My comment: ??????????????
(A P)
Rebels hail Yemen ceasefire accord a 'success', despite skirmishes
Huthi rebels on Saturday hailed a ceasefire accord for a vital Yemeni port agreed at UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden, although the deal's implementation remained fragile.
The breakthrough agreement at the first round of negotiations since 2016 was a "success", said Daif Allah al-Shami, information minister for the rebels' unrecognised national salvation government.
(* A P)
Yemen won't see peace without addressing southern demands: Separatist leader
Any agreement that does not 'satisfy the aspirations of the southern people' will not lead to peace, Ahmed Omar bin Farid says
Despite recent progress at peace talks in Sweden, the war in Yemen will only end when people in the country's south are given a seat at the negotiating table and granted a referendum on independence, a southern leader told Middle East Eye.
Ahmed Omar bin Farid, the Brussels-based envoy for the Southern Transitional Council (STC), warned that any headway being made between the Houthis and Yemen's internationally recognised government would be short-lived without credible input from the restive south.
The STC was excluded from this week’s talks in Rimbo, Sweden, as the United Nations pushed for deals between the Houthis and the Saudi Arabia-backed government of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi on prisoner swaps and the Hodeidah port.
"Any peace that does not satisfy the aspirations of the southern people will lead to unrest," Farid told MEE.
Southern forces were key in bringing the Houthis to the negotiating table, Farid said, as they formed the bulk of a United Arab Emirates-led ground force that has been fighting to capture Yemen’s main port city, Hodeidah, from the rebels.
But the negotiations did not tackle deep-rooted grievances among residents of the country's south, nor did they address demands to
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Russia hopes nationwide ceasefire will be established in Yemen
Russia is convinced that the key task after the intra-Yemeni consultations in Sweden is to reach a countrywide ceasefire in Yemen, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said on Friday.
"We would like to believe that in the light of the agreements reached in Stockholm we are entering a new phase in the settlement of the Yemeni conflict," he said at a UN Security Council meeting
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Security Council welcomes Yemen breakthrough, but lasting peace remains a ‘daunting task’
Joining the Council via a live videolink from Jordan, Martin Griffiths, UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, said that the talks, which concluded in Sweden on Thursday, saw the highest level of common ground ever established between the warring parties, during consultations to end the country’s brutal war.
The Special Envoy made clear that the agreement is a “humanitarian stop gap to save lives and turn the tide of war towards peace”, and that achieving the next steps towards peace will be a “daunting task.” Hudaydah, he said, is the “vital lifeline for the humanitarian programme upon which millions of Yemenis depend. The ghastly prospect of famine has made solving Hudaydah urgent and necessary.”
Mark Lowcock, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, went into more detail on the dire humanitarian situation facing Yemeni
Security Council welcomes outcome of talks, acknowledges ongoing crisis
In response to the briefings from the two UN officials, members of the Security Council welcomed the progress made in Sweden, whilst acknowledging the grave situation faced by the Yemeni people.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/12/1028601
and shorter report: https://www.voanews.com/a/un-to-begin-work-on-monitoring-for-yemeni-port-truce/4701122.html
and
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UN Security Council: Swift Action Key to Implementing New Accords, Special Envoy for Yemen, Emergency Relief Coordinator Stress in Briefing Security Council
Officials Highlight Demilitarization of Ports, Prisoner Exchange, Airport Re-opening as Vital to Relieving Dire Humanitarian Situation
Reporting on the newly reached agreement to demilitarize ports in Yemen, United Nations officials urged the Security Council today to take swift action to ensure full implementation of the accord in order to relieve the dire humanitarian situation in the war-torn country.
“Verification is the key to building trust,” said Martin Griffiths, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen. “I personally hope that this Council will play a part in keeping international attention on the minutiae of implementation.”
Briefing via video-teleconference from Amman, Jordan, he described the agreement reached in Stockholm, Sweden, this week between the parties to the conflict in Yemen, saying it requires mutual withdrawal of forces from Hodeida city and its ports and a governorate-wide ceasefire to allow desperately needed humanitarian assistance to flow in.
Noting that the United Nations has been afforded a lead role in the agreements on the ports, he expects that the Security Council will weigh in on the requirement to establish a compliance-monitoring regime. “A robust and competent monitoring regime is not just essential, it is urgently needed,” he emphasized.
Joining the Special Envoy in the briefing was Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, who also urged swift action to implement the agreements.
Following the briefings, Council members welcomed the Stockholm Agreement and thanked all those who helped to bring them about
Remark: Lowcock’s briefing, in full: cp1.
and
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UN envoy: UN monitors needed to observe Yemen cease-fire
The U.N. envoy for Yemen called Friday for the urgent deployment of U.N. monitors to observe the implementation of a cease-fire in the strategic port city of Hodeida and the withdrawal of rival forces — a potential breakthrough in Yemen’s four-year civil war.
Martin Griffiths told the Security Council that a speedy presence in the field is “an essential part of the confidence” needed to accompany implementation of Thursday’s agreement between Yemen’s government and Houthi Shiite rebels reached after eight days of negotiations in Sweden.
Griffiths said in a video briefing from Amman, Jordan that Dutch Maj. Gen. Patrick Cammaert will lead the monitoring mission and could be in the region “as soon as the middle of next week.”
While calling the achievements at the talks “a significant step forward,” Griffiths also urged caution saying “what’s in front of us is a daunting task ... and the hard work is only about to begin.”
https://apnews.com/7a4f021d59b84aa2af4d2a7cccb8a17c
and a pro-Hadi website emphasizes this:
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Griffiths says the next general framework for negotiations is based on the three terms of reference
The international envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, said the general framework of the upcoming Yemeni consultations is based on the three references, the GCC initiative, and its executive mechanism, the outcome of the National Dialogue Conference, and relevant Security Council resolutions, including Security Council resolution 2216 of 2015.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/162165
My comment: Thus, he would secure his own failure.
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Push for UN Security Council resolution on Yemen after Hodeidah ceasefire
UN diplomats said on Friday that the focus for peace in Yemen must move quickly towards a new Security Council resolution to back up a tentative ceasefire in Hodeidah, where attacks from Houthi rebels overnight highlighted how hard implementing such a plan may be.
Members of the UN Security Council gathered at a behind-closed--doors meeting in New York to be briefed by Martin Griffiths, the special envoy to Yemen, who spoke via a video link from Amman.
“We see a glimmer of hope,” said Karel van Osterom, the permanent representative of The Netherlands and a member of the Council.
“We have been pushing for progress but the situation on the ground is still one of utter desperation. We feel very strongly we need a resolution as soon as possible.”
Maintaining any ceasefire in Hodeidah likely means more UN involvement but Mr van Osterom said it was “too early” to say if that would involve a Blue Helmet force being deployed.
“Very soon we need to have... someone on the ground to do a recce,” he said, calling for the Security Council resolution to be put together early next week if possible “but certainly before Christmas”.
Mr Griffiths addressed the Council for 20 minutes. The UN's humanitarian aid and relief chief, Mark Lowcock, spoke to members immediately afterwards.
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U.N. Yemen envoy pushes Security Council for robust truce monitoring
A robust monitoring regime is urgently needed in Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah to oversee compliance by the warring parties with an agreed ceasefire in the region, United Nations Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths told the Security Council on Friday.
“A robust and competent monitoring regime is not just essential, it is also urgently needed and both parties have told us they would very much welcome it and indeed depend on it,” Griffiths told the 15-member council, adding that U.N. officials were already planning for such a deployment.
Such a monitoring mission needs the backing of the Security Council in a resolution, diplomats said.
Griffiths said retired Dutch Major General Patrick Cammaert had agreed to lead the monitoring component of the agreement, which took effect on Thursday when the deal was published. He said Cammaert could arrive in the region within days.
“Being present in the field soon is an essential part of the confidence that needs to go with the implementation of this agreement,” Griffiths said.
The council was already discussing a British-drafted resolution to enshrine five requests made by U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock - one of which was for a truce around facilities needed for aid and commercial imports - and diplomats said that would now be reworked to endorse the agreement reached in Sweden.
“We hope to be able to work expeditiously with colleagues to bring about a Security Council resolution which will give the firmest possible support to what has been achieved so far,” British U.N. Ambassador Karen Pierce told the council.
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UN Yemen mission to rush to Hodeidah to oversee ceasefire
Monitors will speed to pivotal port city amid anxiety over fragility of surprise truce
A small-scale UN monitoring mission will rush to the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah next week to oversee a ceasefire, the UN special envoy for Yemenhas told diplomats in New York.
The special envoy, Martin Griffiths, hopes a UN security resolution, drafted by the UK, will endorse the agreements reached in Stockholm including the need for a UN body to supervise the port’s administration and mutual troop withdrawals.
Speaking by a video link to the security council in New York, Griffiths said: “A robust and competent monitoring regime is not just essential, it is also urgently needed and both parties have told us they would very much welcome it and indeed depend on it.”
Griffiths said the retired Dutch major general Patrick Cammaert had agreed to lead the monitoring component of the agreement, which took effect on Thursday when the deal was published.
He said Cammaert could arrive in the region within days. “Being present in the field soon is an essential part of the confidence that needs to go with the implementation of this agreement,” Griffiths said.
The agreements leave unclear whether the customs revenues from the Hodeidah port are to go to the Yemen central bank in Aden run by the Hadi government, or instead to remain with Houthis’ banks. The Stockholm talks failed to reach a deal on the reunification of central banks, and it has been the state of economy, including inflation, as much as absence of food that has been driving famine.
Similarly, details about the security force to run the city after the mutual troop withdrawals are unclear, but western diplomats are hoping the two rivals will set up a joint force.
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Breakthrough in peace talks — applauded by U.S. and Iran — are wearily regarded in Yemen
The Wall Street Journal, however, reported Thursday that neither the Houthis nor the government were entirely sure of how this was all going to shake out. The rebels feel they have given “too many concessions” and want a political solution as well as “a full withdrawal of all foreign forces from Yemen,” which include forces from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The government, meanwhile, has not praised the agreement, saying it doubts the Houthi rebels will hold up their end of the bargain.
“They want us to discuss a political settlement without having to pay a price for all the damage they caused after their coup,” one Yemeni lawmaker told the WSJ.
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Global pressure vital for Yemen accord: analysts
"Observers were not expecting an agreement to be reached yesterday, especially on sensitive issues like Hodeida", said Camille Lons from the European Council on Foreign Relations.
But "we should not get over-excited too quickly," Lons cautioned.
"We have to see how the withdrawal from Hodeida happens in practice -- it is likely to be a logistical nightmare for the UN."
But "the devil is in the details", said Yemen analyst Nadwa Dawsari.
The accord does not identify who the "local forces" will be and fixes no date for the start of the ceasefire.
Officials in both camps have told media that the ceasefire was due to come into effect at midnight on Thursday.
But new violence that night in Hodeida underscored the fragility of the accord.
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Yemen war: Can ceasefire deal finally bring peace?
The Stockholm deal, which reached agreements and understandings on a range of significant issues, is fragile and fraught with risk.
But it provoked a rare eruption of relief among Yemenis who dared to hope against hope the worst was finally over.
''Isn't this a special message for peace?'' a Yemeni woman activist exclaimed effusively in a message posted on social media.
The next hurdle is implementation, especially in Hudaydah, the ''centre of gravity'' in this nearly four-year conflict which pits the Saudi-backed Yemeni government against Houthis aligned to Iran.
Subsequent phases will see forces from all sides leaving their positions in and around the adjoining city.
It's a major concession by the Houthis who have previously rejected ultimatums from the Yemeni government, and their Saudi and Emirati backers, to surrender all of this strategic territory on the Red Sea coast which provides a significant source of revenue.
During the talks in rural Sweden, phones were ringing in many capitals.
In the crucial last day-and-a-half before agreement was reached, lines were burning between Washington and Arab capitals with American officials, including US Defence Secretary Gen James Mattis, urging allies to back this process.
If this crucial ceasefire holds, more or less, it will help keep millions of people alive.
Two-thirds of Yemenis now rely on some form of food assistance, including 10 million ''who don't know where their next meal will come from".
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-46575544
My comment: BOTH sides have to tretreat from Hodeidah, not just one.
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Stockholm deal brings partial peace to Yemen, but fraught with risks
Both sides can claim victory:
By getting the government to agree to a prisoner exchange, the Houthis shore up their manpower and their credibility. In agreeing to turn control of Hodeidah’s seaport over to the UN, they also ensure that critical humanitarian aid and commercial goods will continue to flow into North Yemen.
By securing the withdrawal of Houthi militias from the city of Hodeidah, the government recovers a key strategic location from Houthi control and avoids a costly offensive that could have claimed thousands of civilian lives.
Yes, but: Sticking points remain. The Yemeni government did not show flexibility on an agreement that would have ensured the payment of civil servants’ salaries in Houthi territory, while a tentative agreement to reopen Sana’a’s airport, another key Houthi demand, fell apart at the last minute. The Houthis also refused to lift their siege of Ta’iz city (although they did agree to establish a joint committee to explore the issue) or provide locations for tens of thousands of landmines.
Additionally, despite an eagerness to begin peace negotiations on the Houthis’ part, the government, mistrustful of Houthi intentions, deferred them until the Stockholm agreements are implemented.
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Turning Yemen's ceasefire into long-term peace
Peace talks in Sweden yielded positive results, but for long-lasting peace in Yemen, deep-rooted political divisions must also be addressed, writes a Yemeni journalist.
While it is hoped this will pave the way to progress on Yemen's major humanitarian issues, questions over the country's serious political divides remain unresolved.
The flexibility of the warring parties does however, reflect their zeal for ending - or at least alleviating - the suffering of people in Yemen.
The obvious rationale behind the willingness of the Houthis and the internationally recognised government to sign this agreement is to avoid further bloodshed and destruction in Hodeida, and guarantee the entry of 80 percent of basic imports into Yemen.
Having the UN supervise the port of Hodeida will not suffice to yield a viable political settlement. Given that the war in Yemen began over the political agreements in 2014 which led to military escalations and destructive war, these issues still need to be resolved.
Now, questions over the presidency, a united leadership, early elections, and the outcome of the National Dialogue Conference (NDC) must be brought to the table. In addition, practical ideas on a weapons handover should be discussed.
But while the government insists on implementing the UN-sponsored and Gulf-backed NDC outcomes, the Houthis see such a matter as an impossibility. This is just one example of the wide schism that must be bridged.
At a time when the government would like to see the Houthis as a political party that competes in elections and get the power they deserve through the polls, the Houthis are unlikely to buy into such proposals.
At a time when the government sees the Gulf countries as brotherly and friendly countries, the Houthis see them as enemies and occupiers, particularly Saudi Arabia and UAE. The question is how can such divides be resolved?
This level of distrust over the humanitarian agreements casts some doubt over whether they are willing to engage in a serious political settlement. The coming talks will lay these intentions bare.
Combined with fresh US momentum to end the war, the success of the ongoing Yemen peace talks in Sweden could serve an exit for Saudi Arabia and a relief for Yemenis. But the fact remains that it is still premature to confidently pin hope on the preliminary results of these peace talks; it is the end that will really count – by a Yemeni journalist
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/comment/2018/12/14/turning-yemens-ceasefire-into-long-term-peace
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Film: Is an end in sight for the war in Yemen?
We ask the UN special envoy for Yemen after the latest peace talks
But are we any closer to ending this crisis? We ask Martin Griffiths, an experienced mediator and the UN's special envoy for Yemen.
"I think it's a big step forward, but it's the first big step forward," says Griffiths, adding that he thinks a ceasefire in Hodeidah guarantees that the humanitarian pipeline won't be affected by the warring sides, "I think we've put a spike in the road on that."
"What I need to do is to understand why people have different approaches to resolving this conflict," Griffiths adds that it's the key to "find out a way through it to resolve the conflict".
Having worked for all three UN envoys for Syria, Griffiths says "My job, is to do everything we can through diplomacy, through mediation, through urging, through patience, through listening, through respect to give them the chance to do the right thing."
https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/upfront/2018/12/sight-war-yemen-181213221327787.html = https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/upfront/2018/12/yemen-parties-decide-resolve-conflict-181214202501678.html
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Yemen rebels return to Sanaa after UN-led talks
A Huthi rebel delegation returned Friday to Yemen's insurgent-controlled capital of Sanaa after wrapping up an initial round of breakthrough UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden.
The Kuwaiti plane carrying the delegation touched down at 11:00 am (0800 GMT) at Sanaa international airport, where flights are heavily restricted due to the conflict between the rebels and a Saudi-led coalition that backs the government.
A crowd of some 400 people, including rebel officials and civilians, were there to greet the returnees on the runway before they headed into a reception hall.
"We wanted to prove to the world that while we are confrontational men, we are also men of peace," said delegation member Jalal al-Ruwaishan.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-6496653/Yemen-rebels-return-Sanaa-UN-led-talks.html
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The US and the UK support the Saudi/UAE war on Yemen and are both involved deeply in its military aspects, while portraying themselves as key brokers of peace AND still manage to blame Yemenis for the persistence of this war. Class A wankers: How do you say that in Yankee?
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1073161456261234689
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Is Yemen’s Torment Finally Ending?
The latest cease-fire raises hopes, but officials fear war could break out again.
But longtime observers questioned whether the deal struck in Rimbo, Sweden, marks a true turning point in a four-year-old conflict that has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, and brought the country to the brink of famine. Many fear it will be another false start after more than four years of frustrated diplomatic efforts that have already seen two U.N. envoys resign in failure.
“This is obviously a positive step,” said Gerald Feierstein, a former U.S. ambassador to Yemen, saying it is too soon to know whether the parties have the political will to implement their agreements. “We should be a little cautious about breaking out the champagne bottle.”
“I can’t say for sure that this is a done deal,” he added. “It could go off the rails.”
https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/12/13/is-yemens-torment-finally-ending/
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Yemen ceasefire: hope gives way to worry about whether deal will stick
Situation on ground in Hodeidah will test UN-brokered deal, say analysts
Initial hope after a breakthrough round of peace talks on Yemen in Swedenhas quickly given way to worries over how the agreed measures will be implemented.
Whether the wider goals set out in the UN communiques can be achieved will be tested on the ground in the next few days in Hodeidah, where the coalition launched an offensive last month to retake the city from the Houthis.
“Hodeidah is the litmus test for the Sweden talks,” said the analyst Hisham al-Omeisy. “The parties have agreed to withdraw to the city limits and for a reorganisation of military units and local security forces. But this is Yemen and nothing is that simple.
“For example, the Houthis have recruited a lot of locals in the city. Are they supposed to vacate their homes now? The wording of the agreements has been purposefully vague to get the parties to agree, but it’s going to be very hard to gauge what success will be like as a result.”
The Houthis are unlikely to give up full control of the port – the movement’s most important income source – without assurances their revenue streams will be protected.
The Yemeni economic committee is scheduled to meet in Amman in Jordan next week for consultations on rescuing the ailing Yemeni rial and ensuring public workers’ salaries are paid.
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Films: Elisabeth Kendall: What should we make of the outcomes of the #Yemen talks that closed today in #Sweden? Here's a clip from my interview on France 24 News this afternoon
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1073284550292357122
#Yemen talks in #Sweden were a strong step in the right direction, but not a conveyor belt to peace. Even if the ceasefire for #Hodeidah & other northern ports holds, there's a long hard road ahead. Here's a clip from my interview for EuroNews last night.
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1073687720512417792
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Sweden's consultations Optimism with no guarantees
Despite the progress he has been promoting in the prisoners ' files and the Sanaa airport, the two files which are of interest to the Houthis, the widening gap in the subject of the handover of the Hodeidah and its port, the siege of Taiz, the weak fortunes of the economy and the central bank, and the framework for future negotiations, the absence of a speedy implementation mechanism and gaps In the details of the understandings, as it is sufficient to exchange the statements of prisoners and detainees without approval, confirmation, and acceptance by both parties, postponement of implementation for weeks, and disagreement about the procedures for opening the airport of Sanaa, and other details that have differing interpretations, outweigh the chances of failure in Implementation.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/162103
My comment: Apart from this paragraph, this article is an anti-Houthi blame game – propaganda not worth reading.
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Film: Yemen warring sides’ talks show Saudi war 'all-out failure'
The UN-brokered peace talks between the warring sides in Yemen indicate that Saudi Arabia’s military aggression against the impoverished Arab nation has been an “all-out failure”, says a political commentator.
“The Saudi-led war has turned out to be an all-out failure, a war which has been going on for four years with the aim of destroying or eliminating the Houthis and the Ansarullah, and now the result is that Ansarullah is being recognized by the UN as an indispensable part of the political process (in Yemen)... That is a dismal Saudi failure. At the same time it is a big achievement for the Houthis,” Ali Rizk told Press TV in an interview on Friday.
The Saudis "couldn't defeat the Houthis" despite the fact that they had the support of the US and some of their other allies, the commentator added.
"So I think as I said it is a big setback for the Saudis and another strategic failure for Saudi Arabia,” he added.
Remark: From Iran.
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News Analysis: Deals reached in Sweden's UN-sponsored talks huge win for Yemenis if implemented
Yemeni political analysts and observers praised Sweden's deal and considered it a significant win for the exhausted Yemeni people and a key breakthrough for the UN-sponsored talks aimed at ending the country's conflict.
But some fear the interpretation and the implementation of Hodeidah's cease-fire deal and other agreements will be likely more difficult than the announcement.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-12/14/c_137672487.htm
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How to Build on the New Yemen Agreement
Negotiations in Stockholm have created opportunities for progress, but pressuring the parties is necessary to cement these initial gains and keep the nascent process from collapsing.
Going forward, officials should concentrate on the following measures:
Hold the parties accountable. In light of the fact that all previous ceasefire agreements in Yemen have collapsed, the international community should make sure that the Redeployment Coordination Committee is stood up expeditiously. The UN Security Council could reinforce the progress made in Sweden with its own endorsement.
Clarify ambiguities. References in the Stockholm documents to local security forces, local state institutions, and the Central Bank of Yemen are all susceptible to misinterpretation and exploitation by the warring parties. Backers of the parties have all endorsed the agreement while adding their own spin (e.g., see responses from Emirati and Iranian officials). Griffiths should use his December 14 briefing to the Security Council to clarify his expectations, with Europe and Washington reinforcing his points and otherwise backing him up.
Effectively resource and support the UN. It is unclear whether the UN has the staff and resources to quickly scale up its presence in Hodeida and other key ports. […]. Now is the time for the international community to underscore its commitment to the ceasefire and the free flow of humanitarian and commercial goods through the port—recognizing that the best means of doing so lies in giving the UN what it needs to implement the Stockholm agreement and build on this progress.
https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/how-to-build-on-the-new-yemen-agreement
My comment: “The U.S. government and other actors have already invested heavily in third-party monitoring efforts such as the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen, in part to address coalition concerns regarding illicit weapons smuggling into Hodeida.” Is odd propaganda.
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Joint Statement by Ambassadors of 5 Permanent UN SC Members
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2116679851703722&id=186812134690513
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US Ambassador: Sweden agreement is a step towards peace
The US Ambassador to Yemen Mathew Tueller has said that the agreement reached between the Yemeni fighting sides in Sweden is a step towards peace.
He further said that the agreement reached today, Thursday, will be in favor of all Yemenis, affirming that Washington would continue providing assistances for Yemenis.
He further noted that the implementation of the UN Resolution 2216 on Yemen requires the Houthis to surrender their weapons, pointing out that some states want the agreement to fail.
He also said that Washington closely watches the Iranian role in Yemen and “ it will not accept any Iranian attempts to support the Houthis against the legitimate government”.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-26049
My comment: US ambassador Tueller (not: Toller) is one of the most extreme backers of the Saudi coalition. He has a very great influence – much more than an ambassador to a failed 3. World government would have – and seems to be an important and horrible puppet master in the background: https://theintercept.com/2017/12/13/yemen-war-peace-talks-matthew-tueller/. – He claims “the implementation of the UN Resolution 2216“, the best way to obstruct the Sweden talks. This resolution is fully biased, claiming Houthis‘ full surrender, i.e. suicide, which forces them to continue fighting. – It is not up to the US to „not accept any Iranian attempts to support the Houthis against the legitimate government”. Do not forget that US support for the Saudi coalition is enormous compared to any Iranian support for the Houthis. The US are convinved they are allowed to do what ever they want, while when others do the same or even just a little bit, it’s abhorrent.
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'Peace is possible': US, Iran hail progress in Yemen talks
Washington and Tehran laud breakthroughs in UN-brokered peace talks, which include a ceasefire in port city of Hodeidah.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/iran-hail-progress-yemen-talks-181214060015738.html
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Iran says U.N.-led ceasefire in Yemen's Hodeidah is step toward peace: TV
Iran welcomed on Friday initial agreements reached at talks in Sweden by the opposing sides in Yemen’s war, which include the Iran-aligned Houthi group, were a step toward a final peace accord, Iranian state TV reported on Friday.
“Iran welcomes the agreement ... and hopes it will pave the way for the next round of dialogue for concluding a final accord among Yemeni groups,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by TV.
“The agreement is significant. The deal showed that the Yemeni groups involved in the talks had truly understood the deplorable conditions of the innocent and oppressed Yemeni people,” Qasemi said.
and from Iran https://financialtribune.com/articles/national/95591/yemeni-agreements-bode-well-for-final-truce
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CARE International responds to Yemen peace talks
NRC welcomes Yemen agreements
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/nrc-welcomes-yemen-agreements
Islamic Relief UK Responds To Yemen Ceasefire Agreement
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/islamic-relief-uk-responds-yemen-ceasefire-agreement
Amnesty International: Yemen: Ceasefire in Hodeidah brings long-awaited glimmer of hope to millions
UN Children's Fund: Yemen peace talks and Hudaydah ceasefire signal hope for country’s children
Oxfam: Reaction: Yemen Sweden agreement
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/reaction-yemen-sweden-agreement
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Conclusion of Yemen Consultations in Sweden
Press statement, Sec. Of State Mike Pompeo
The United States commends participants from the Yemen consultations in Sweden for making progress on key initiatives, including a cease-fire and withdrawal of forces in Hudaydah, prisoner exchanges, and opening humanitarian corridors to the city of Taiz. Although many details remain subject to further discussion, these consultations between the Republic of Yemen Government and the Houthis marked a pivotal first step. All parties have an opportunity to build upon this momentum and improve the lives of all Yemenis.
https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2018/12/288080.htm
My comment: LOL.
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Statements of the head of #Sanaa national delegation Mr. "Mohammed Abdul Salam" at the conclusion of Yemeni consultations in #Sweden.
By Ansar Allah Media Center (document in image)
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/2048871935165826
and
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Head of National Delegation: The Yemeni People Won, Summarizes Sweden’s Consultations
The head of the national Negation Delegation to Sweden's consultations, Mohammed Abdulsalam, said that the real dialogue in Sweden was with the international community not with the Delegation from Riyadh, and that the international community negotiated with the Delegation of Sana'a and not with other countries. The cessation of military operations in Hodeidah and the liberation of prisoners is a victory for the Yemeni People and humanity. This political victory it was not to happen if it was not for the people of Tihama and the West Coast, who stood at a historic stage in the face of aggression.
Abdulsalam added that "the existing local authorities will be the official authorities in Hodeidah in coordination with the United Nations, who will oversee the security file. The first phase of the Hodeidah agreement is to stop the military operations and withdrawal of invading forces that reached the outskirts of the city, and stop the military manifestations in the absence of a threat to the city from any party."
Mohammed Abdulsalam stressed that the delegation of Sana'a keen to help avoid Hodeidah any military operations and made several initiatives, noting that the United Nations did not reject the supervisory role on the port of Hodeidah, which was provided by the delegation previously, but Britain and USA rejected it. The roads between Sana'a, Hodeidah and other roads to Taiz and Saada should be safe and not targeted at all, and that the forces that will work in the ports of Hodeidah are the local security forces.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=4337&cat_id=1
and also http://almasdaronline.com/articles/162137
Remark: Houthi delegation.
And
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Abdulsalam: Riyadh’s Delegation Prevented Completely Ending of Yemenis Suffering
The head of the National Delegation in Sweden's consultations, Mohamed Abdulsalam, said that the Riyadh's delegation prevented a complete cessation of all military operations, stressing the need to end the suffering of the Yemeni People, especially in the economic files and the opening of Sana'a International Airport. He also refused to sign the UN draft framework, A political solution, that ends the aggression.
In a press conference at the end of the consultations, Abdulsalam said that "the National Delegation reached with the Riyadh's delegation a humanitarian calm in Hodeidah," describing the truce agreement as "important to humanity and victory for Yemeni citizens and humanity." He stressed that Sana'a's Delegation made great concessions in terms of Hodeidah since "it is the only remaining outlet, noting that Sana'a's Delegation did not mind signing the agreement, but there is a humanitarian commitment and moral implementation."
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=4334&cat_id=1
And
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Truce agreement victory for Yemeni nation: Abdulsalam
Yemen’s Houthi movement says a ceasefire agreed between the warring sides in Yemen is a victory for the war-torn country as it will stop Saudi attacks on the strategic city of Hudaydah.
Houthi chief negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam made the remarks in an interview with Al-Masirah TV, shortly after the warring parties reached a ceasefire agreement after days of UN-brokered talks in Sweden.
Based on the deal, “the existing local authorities will be officially in charge of controlling the city and establishing security there under the supervision of the UN,” Abdulsalam said.
The Riyadh-backed side, which represented former Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi in the Stockholm talks, said on Friday that the Houthis must hand over the key port.
However, Abdulsalam strongly rejected the proposal, saying Hudaydah must be kept apart from the military conflict, and that a government should be formed first before all parties are disarmed.
In his remarks, Abdulsalam said there is no sign that the Saudis are going to stop their aggression against the innocent people of Yemen despite the ceasefire deal.
One of the articles of the draft agreement proposed by the Ansarullah delegation is “the complete cessation of military actions in Yemen,” but the Saudi side is rejecting it, he said.
“The UN has two options ahead of itself: it should either start the political process from the scratch or begin the political process from the draft version of the framework deal proposed in Sweden.”
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Supreme Revolutionary Head: The Security Council Must Oblige Aggression to sit at one table
The head of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, said that the Security Council and the United Nations to formally oblige the participating countries to sit on the table. Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi praised the efforts of the National Delegation, stressing its commitment to peace, credibility and independence of the decision, unlike Riyadh Delegation, the extent of his assertion.
He also valued the efforts of UN envoy, Martin Griffith, and described them as important steps
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=4340&cat_id=1
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Gov’ delegation: For the first time through their history Houthis accept to withdraw
Yemeni Foreign minister and the head of the Yemeni government delegation in Sweden's consultations, Khalid al-Yamani, said at a press conference following the conclusion of Sweden's consultations held under the auspices of the UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths. on Thursday that the two sides have made serious steps toward confidence-building measures, which was achieved by the agreement on the Hodeidah dossier.
"For the first time, the militias in their history have accepted the withdrawal and Hodeidah will return to the legitimate authorities through official institutions where they will remain a humanitarian passage".
"This means the withdrawal of Houthi militias from al-Saleef and Ras Issa."
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/162140
My comment: Idiot. Both sides had accepted to withdraw from Hodeidah. And the Hodeidah agreement just mentioned “Legal lines of authority shall be respected and any obstructions to proper functioning of local state institutions, including supervisors, shall be removed”, this has nothinh to do with any claims of the Hadi government that it can take over anything because it is claiming “legitimacy” for itself.
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Saudi envoy to US: Yemen deal 'will help bring back security'
Saudi Arabia and its Arab coalition partners "strongly support" an agreement reached on Yemen in UN-brokered peace talks Thursday, which includes a ceasefire in the vital port of Hodeida, Riyadh's US ambassador Khalid bin Salman said.
"We hope that the Houthis accept a comprehensive political solution, in accordance with relevant UN resolutions, that serves the interests of Yemen and its people rather than working on behalf of the Iranian regime’s interests," the ambassador said.
"We remain committed to ending the humanitarian crisis to help Yemen rebuild," he said.
https://www.afp.com/en/news/3954/saudi-envoy-us-yemen-deal-will-help-bring-back-security-doc-1bk9725
My comment: Lol, again.
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Anwar Gargash: Hodeidah ceasefire is 'important first step' to end the Yemen conflict
Dr Anwar Gargash said on Friday that the outcome of United Nations-backed negotiations in Sweden between Yemen's government and the Houthi rebels is an important first step towards reaching a political solution to the conflict but "the road ahead remains bumpy".
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs reiterated the UAE's support for "the political and humanitarian process as well as plans for reconstruction" after Yemen’s warring parties agreed to withdraw all forces from Hodeidah governorate and its vital harbours as part of a wider ceasefire agreement sealed on Thursday in Rimbo.
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Arab and international Welcome on Sweden Agreements Between Yemen’s Parties
Qatar, Egypt and Iran welcomed progress made at UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden between the warring parties in Yemen for a ceasefire in Hodeidah and Taiz.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=4344&cat_id=1
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Senior British official hails progress in Yemen peace talks
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt on Thursday hailed the progress in the week-long Yemen peace talks, which ended in Sweden earlier in the day, saying it represents "an important step towards ending the conflict" in the Middle Eastern country.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-12/14/c_137672499.htm
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Photos, film of final session
https://twitter.com/UKinYemen/status/1073218400804052992
https://twitter.com/UKinYemen/status/1073218038877618176
https://twitter.com/irmavandueren/status/1073197472489594880
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1073227584131997696
https://twitter.com/skynewsarabia/status/1073193011977379840
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Film, final session (in Swedish)
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UN's Guterres: Saudi Arabia’s crown prince contributed to reaching Yemen agreement
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi contributed to reaching agreements in Yemen and helped achieve the cease-fire in Hodeidah, UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres said.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1420451/middle-east
My comment: if you shake a bloody hand, you will have blood on your hand.
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UN Secretary-General: You Have Nation’s Future in Your Hands, Secretary-General Tells Intra-Yemeni Talks, Encouraging Further Gains on Negotiation Framework for Peace Process
You, the parties present here today, have the possibility to change this. You have the future of Yemen in your hands and we have a precious opportunity and I am glad to see that you have made real progress here in Sweden. You have been working hard during this week and it has yielded several important results. That is an achievement, but there are also pending issues and we will move on with those pending issues without interruption. We want to make sure that we make progress at any moment for the benefit of the Yemeni people.
(A P)
Film: The Day with Brent Goff: Ceasefire in Yemen
https://www.dw.com/en/the-day-with-brent-goff-ceasefire-in-yemen/av-19049331
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FULL TEXT OF THE STOCKHOLM AGREEMENT
The parties reached an agreement on the following:
1- An agreement on the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa.
2- An executive mechanism on activating the prisoner exchange agreement.
3- A statement of understanding on Taïz.
We shall be committed,
- To fully implement this Agreement and to work towards the removal of any obstructions or impediments to its implementation.
- To refrain from any action, escalation or decisions that would undermine the prospects for full implementation of this Agreement.
- To continue the consultations unconditionally in January 2019 in a location to be agreed upon by the parties.
https://osesgy.unmissions.org/full-text-stockholm-agreement
Agreement on the City of Hodeidah and Ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Isa
The parties reached an agreement on the following: • An immediate cease-fire shall enter into force in the city of Hodeidah, the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa and the governorate upon signature of this agreement. • A mutual redeployment of forces shall be carried out from the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa to agreed upon locations outside the city and the ports. • The parties shall be committed not to bring any military reinforcements to the city, the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa, and the governorate. • The parties shall be committed to remove any military manifestations from the city. • A joint and agreed upon Redeployment Coordination Committee chaired by the United Nations and comprised of, but not limited to, members of the parties shall be established to oversee the cease-fire and the re-deployment. • The Redeployment Coordination Committee shall supervise the re-deployment and monitoring operations and it shall also oversee the de-mining operations in the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa. • The Chairman of the Redeployment Coordination Committee will report on a weekly basis to the Security Council through the Secretary General on the compliance of the parties to the terms of the agreement. • A UN leading role in supporting Yemen Red Sea Ports Corporation in management and inspections at the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras al-Isa, to include enhanced UNVIM monitoring in the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa . • A strengthened UN presence in the city of Hodeidah and Ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Isa. • The parties shall be committed to facilitate and support the work of the United Nations in Hodeidah. • Parties shall facilitate the freedom of movement of civilians and goods from and to the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa and the delivery of humanitarian aid through the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa. Revenues of the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa shall be channeled to the Central Bank of Yemen through its branch in Hodeidah as a contribution to the payment of salaries in the governate of Hodeidah and throughout Yemen. ▪ Security of the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa shall be the responsibility of local security forces in accordance with Yemeni law. Legal lines of authority shall be respected and any obstructions to proper functioning of local state institutions, including supervisors, shall be removed. • This Agreement shall not be considered a precedent to be referred to in any subsequent consultations or negotiations.
This agreement shall be implemented in phases, the details of which will determined by the Redeployment Coordination Committee. The redeployment from the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa and critical parts of the city associated with the humanitarian facilities shall be the first phase and it shall be completed within two weeks after the cease-fire enters into force. The full mutual redeployment of all forces from the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa shall be completed within a maximum period of 21 days after the cease-fire enters into force.
https://osesgy.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/hodeidah_agreement.pdf
Statement of Understanding on Ta'iz
The two parties agreed on the following:
1- Form a joint committee including representative from the Civil Society and with
the participation of the United Nations.
2- The two parties shall designate their representatives in the joint committee, and
the names shall be delivered to the United Nations no later than one week after
the conclusion date of Sweden consultations.
3- The United Nations shall set the date and location of the first meeting of the joint
committee.
4- The joint committee shall determine its working mechanism and the ToRs of its
members.
5- The joint committee submit a report on its work to the upcoming consultations
https://osesgy.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/taiz_agreement.pdf
Comments by Haykal Bafana: Hmmm.... already in murky waters, the #Yemen peace talks' Hodeidah agreement. No 'immediate ceasefire' on the ground, both sides claiming escalation. And the vague language of this rather poorly-drafted clause may just cause a collapse of the Hodeidah agreement in its entirety.
The issue is this: What does 'local security forces' mean? Whose?
Houthi media citing Houthi spox @abdusalamsalah is claiming that it means the currently existing 'local security forces' i.e. Houthi-appointed ones, will be in charge of security at Hodeidah port & city. Very likely the #Yemen govt (Hadi's one) has a completely opposite idea.
I don't like the deeply vague legal language used by the UN. If the Houthis AND the Yemeni government of Hadi have agreed to hand over Yemen's Hodeidah port & city to full UN control, under the security aegis of a UN Peacekeeping Force, it should be stated plainly.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1073276851475361792
Small question to @OSE_Yemen on the #Yemen peace deal: Am confused. Are these 'agreements' you published already signed by the Yemeni parties, or are they till now unsigned drafts of the proposed agreements?
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1073298466087100416
Whaat? American media over-excited, I see. There is no such provision in the actual UN-issued Hodeidah agreement. @VOANews : #Yemen Rival Parties Agree to Hand UN Control of Hodeidah Port
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1073281371643281410
(A P)
Comments by Maher Farrukh: Hudaydah agreement from the UN consultations can be interpreted by both sides that their officials and security forces are the “legal authority.” Hadi gov likely reads this to mean forces & officials who were in place before the war while Houthis argue it is the current officials
https://twitter.com/MaherFarrukh/status/1073577163482378240
This has the potential to be a major point of contention that can scuttle the deal. The Hadi gov/coalition media has also be reporting #Houthi forces need to withdraw first, but the text of the agreement does not clearly define the phasing. Another potential stumbling block.
https://twitter.com/MaherFarrukh/status/1073577739532320769
Comment: BBC journalist @anwaryem who attended Sweden talks says every party have their own interpretation of the “agreement” that was announced by UN envoy P.S language on who will run security & mange central bank n Hodeida in the agreement is pretty vague
https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/1073567874608963584
(* A K P)
Yemen talks: Truce agreed over key port city of Hudaydah
The announcement of a ceasefire between Yemen’s warring parties in and around the key port of Hudaydah, was hailed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday as a deal which would improve the lives of millions of people.
Speaking on the last day of UN-led talks in Sweden to decide the future of the war-torn country, where its people are in the grip of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, Mr. Guterres told those present that they had “the future of Yemen” in their hands.
While noting that “pending issues” have yet to be resolved, the UN chief said that representatives from the internationally-recognised Government of Yemen and the opposition had made “real progress” which had yielded “several important results”.
These included a “mutual understanding to ease the situation in Taizz”, Mr Guterres said, in reference to the country’s third largest city.
“We hope this will lead to the opening of humanitarian corridors and the facilitation of demining,” he added.
On the previously-agreed issue of a mass exchange of prisoners, the UN Secretary-General noted that both delegations had drawn up a timeline and provided further details on when it might happen.
Looking ahead to a new meeting between both parties in the new year, the UN chief insisted that another “very important step for the peace process” had been agreed, namely a willingness to discuss a framework for negotiations.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/12/1028441
Overview article: https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2018/12/15/faint-hopes-of-ending-the-war-in-yemen
(A P)
Saudi ambassador to Yemen says Hodeidah agreement to start Friday: Al Arabiya TV
Saudi ambassador to Yemen Mohammed al-Jabir told Al Arabiya TV on Thursday that enforcement procedures of the Hodeidah agreement made earlier between Yemen’s warring parties will start tomorrow.
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Yemen's warring parties agree to Hodeidah ceasefire at end of peace talks
Yemen’s warring parties agreed to a ceasefire in the Houthi-held port city of Hodeidah and placing it under local control at the close of talks on Thursday in a breakthrough for U.N.-led peace efforts to end the war.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that a framework for political negotiations would be discussed at the next round of talks between the Iranian-aligned Houthis and the Saudi-backed government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
“You have reached an agreement on Hodeidah port and city, which will see a mutual re-deployment of forces from the port and the city, and the establishment of a Governorate-wide ceasefire,” Guterres said.
“The UN will play a leading role in the port,” he told a news conference in Rimbo, outside Stockholm.
U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths said armed forces of both parties would withdraw “within days” from Hodeidah port, the main entrypoint for most of Yemen’s commercial imports and vital aid supplies, and later from the city, where coalition troops have massed on the outskirts.
The withdrawal of armed forces would also include Salif port, used for grains, and that of Ras Isa, used for oil, which are both currently under Houthi control.
“This is a minor breakthrough. They have been able to achieve more than anyone expected,” said Elizabeth Dickinson, Senior Analyst, Arabian Peninsula at International Crisis Group.
“Saudi Arabia has taken a firmer hand with the Hadi government, which has in turn been more cooperative.”
“Important political progress made including the status of Hodeida,” UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash tweeted.
He attributed the “significant breakthrough” to pressure brought on the Houthis by the offensive on Hodeidah, the group’s main supply line.
Guterres said the parties had made “real progress” and that the United Nations would pursue pending issues “without interruption”.
My comment: This would be great but I am in doubt whether this really will work. The Hadi government will insist in full control. – Does this refer to the port or the whole city? – How ill this work for the others harbors? – Who will be in control? – Gargash’s interpretation – the assault on Hodeidah as a reason for the agreement – really is propaganda bullshit.
(** A K P)
UN chief announces ceasefire for key Yemen port at peace talks
UN chief Antonio Guterres announced Thursday a series of breakthroughs in talks with rivals in the Yemen conflict, including a ceasefire for a vital port.
The Yemeni foreign minister and the rebel leader shook hands in a highly symbolic gesture on the seventh day of the UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden.
The conflict has triggered what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with 14 million Yemenis now at the brink of mass starvation.
Guterres, who flew in to Sweden late Wednesday, announced that the Yemeni government and Huthi rebels had agreed on a ceasefire in the port of Hodeida, the main entry point for imported food and aid.
He said the United Nations would play a "leading role" at the Red Sea port, which is currently controlled by the rebels.
In addition, the rivals have reached a "mutual understanding" on Yemen's third city of Taiz, the scene of some of the most intense battles in the conflict.
A source inside the talks had said earlier that mediators remained "positive" although there was "disagreement on the points of the proposals".
https://www.afp.com/en/news/3954/un-chief-announces-ceasefire-key-yemen-port-peace-talks-doc-1bk4sp2 = https://www.france24.com/en/20181213-un-chief-Guterres-yemen-rivals-agree-ceasefire-hodeida-sweden-talks
(** A K P)
Yemen's warring parties agree to ceasefire in Hodeidah
The agreement is seen as a major breakthrough on the final day of peace talks in Sweden.
According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Houthis have agreed to withdraw from all three ports in Hodeidah. The withdrawal will take place in two short phases, he said.
"It is obvious the UN will play an important role in the port, probably a monitoring role and the management of that port," Guterres said, adding that this will help "facilitate the humanitarian flow of goods to the civilian population and it will improve the living conditions for millions of Yemenis."
UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, added that "the designs of the withdrawal, first from the port, will happen very quickly - within days - and then from the city, with both sides disengaging".
He also said that the ceasefire is "designed to open up that east-west road [that connects Hodeidah and Sanaa] so that the humanitarian pipeline, which is crucial to the people of Yemen can start delivering aid".
and also
https://www.dw.com/en/ceasefire-for-yemens-port-and-aid-hub-hodeida-agreed-in-sweden/a-46720348
(* A K P)
Yemen: ceasefire agreed for port city of Hodeidah
In Hodeidah, Salem Jaffer Baobaid, an aid worker with Islamic Relief, said: “It is much quieter today. We are not sure what is going to happen but any relief is welcome.”
Local resident Baseem al Janani added: “We have heard about the ceasefire but we are very cautious. Today the Houthis dug new trenches, closed off and emptied some neighbourhoods. They do not seem like they are going to stop fighting.”
The plan raises questions about the capacity of the UN to run Hodeidah port. If it fails, the risk remains that fighting for control of the port will continue. The port is the entry point for most aid into the country, and nearly 27% of the Houthi income comes from the port.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/13/yemen-ceasefire-agreed-for-vital-port-city-of-hodeidah
(* A K P)
Yemen war: Truce for lifeline port city of Hudaydah
How will the truce work?
All forces from the Houthi rebels and from the Yemeni government alliance fighting them will withdraw from Hudaydah in the coming days
They will be replaced by what the UN called local forces
Mr Guterres said the ceasefire would then take place for the whole of the Hudaydah governorate.
The UN would then play a "leading role" in monitoring the Red Sea port, and would help distribute aid to civilians, he added.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-46555059
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Yemen's Houthis agree in principle to U.N. role at Sanaa airport
Yemen’s Houthis have agreed in principle on a United Nation’s role in Sanaa airport, a spokesman for the armed movement said in Sweden on Thursday.
The Houthis are happy with what was achieved in the consultations, said the spokesman, speaking after U.N. sponsored peace talks with Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
A U.N. role would include carrying out safety and inspection checks at the airport.
My comment: With the UN “carrying out safety and inspection checks at the airport”, no further checks anywhere else in Yemen would be necessary.
(* A P)
Yemeniya airlines will not accept passports issued in Houthi controlled areas anymore. To get a new passports Yemenis who receive no service no protection, no salaries, not anything from their govt have to travel to Marib or Aden which will cost them $$$$$. So much for legitimacy (document)
https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/1072975147085242369
This has the potential to undermine any benefit from opening Sana'a International Airport for people living in al Houthi-controlled areas (at least for those who did not have a passport before the conflict or if Houthi authorities force citizens to use Houthi-issued passports)
https://twitter.com/MaherFarrukh/status/1073009713359527936
The so-called Legitimate government tries its best to ruin any attempt to reach an agreement in Sweden The so called legitimate government tries its level best to turn the life of the people that it claims it represents them into hell
Unprecedented instruction were circulated by this lousy government to reject all the passports of the Yemeni people which were issued outside the areas that it claims it controls
These childish acts prove for the thousand time that this incompetent government does not deserve to represent Yemenis As it is not enough for those helpless people to struggle to face the hell each time they need to travel. To add an additional burden on their shoulders
https://twitter.com/I4Yemen/status/1072870340856963072
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UAE welcomes political breakthroughs on Yemen
The UAE has welcomed the political progress on Yemen, including the status of Hodeidah, reached during the Sweden Consultations.
Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said on Thursday that there was "encouraging news" from Sweden
http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302726967
My comment: The UAE will hardly care.
(* A P)
Film: War in Yemen: How women and girls are paying the price
With negotiations underway in Sweden aimed at ending the devastating conflict in Yemen, Yemeni women have been demanding a seat at the table. They represent different political sensibilities, activists, development workers and civil society. One of the women at the helm of this campaign is Rasha Jarhum, a women's rights activist from Yemen and co-founder of the Peace Track Initiative. She tells us how she perceives these negotiations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVJNaI274Pw
snipet: https://twitter.com/France24_en/status/1072890867051053056
(A P)
Yemen's FM says regrets no better outcome from Sweden talks on economy
Yemeni Foreign Minister Khalid al Yamani on Thursday welcomed a U.N.-backed agreement reached at peace talks in Sweden regarding the port city of Hodeidah.
But Yamani, speaking at the end of the talks near Stockholm, said he regretted that the consultations had not resulted in a significant agreement to improve Yemen’s economy which has collapsed after nearly four years of war.
(A P)
Saudi ambassador to Yemen says U.N. agreement requires Houthi withdrawal from Hodeidah
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen said on Thursday that U.N.-backed agreements between Yemen’s warring parties required the withdrawal of Houthi forces from the strategic port city of Hodeidah.
Mohammed al-Jabir said the agreements, which have not been released to the public in full after talks in Sweden, required the Houthis’ “withdrawing from the city and port of Hodeidah, as well as Taiz, and the release of thousands of detainees and prisoners.”
My comment: Idiot. The agreement would require the withdrawal of ALL military forces from Hodeidah, and the prisoner release is a swap, both sides releasing prisoners.
(* A P)
Swedish foreign minister: Outcome of Yemen talks will be presented to UN
The outcome of UN-backed Yemen talks will be conveyed to the Security Council on Friday, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstorm said as peace consultations in the rural Swedish town of Rimbo neared a close.
Warring parties have yet to announce their response to four draft agreements presented by the UN to delegates on Wednesday, focusing on a political framework, the reopening of Sanaa airport, the status of the port city of Hodeidah and Yemen's economic situation.
(A P)
British foreign secretary to meet both sides at Yemen talks in Stockholm
Jeremy Hunt will also meet with the United Nations Secretary General and the special envoy in Sweden
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will attend the UN-led Yemen peace talks in Stockholm on Thursday. The visit is a culmination of his efforts during visits to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran where he tried to kickstart a political process to bring an end to the Yemen conflict.
Mr Hunt will meet UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and UN special envoy Martin Griffiths. He will also meet with members of the government of Yemen and the Houthi delegation, the first time a UK minister has met with Houthi officials since the conflict began.
and also https://apnews.com/c51603b0294c4a208f27cf0c622dba80
https://www.forces.net/news/foreign-secretary-meet-houthi-officials-yemen-peace-talks
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretary-attends-un-yemen-peace-talks-in-stockholm
(A P)
Kuwait ready to host signing of Yemen peace deal
Kuwaiti foreign minister calls on Yemen's conflicting parties to end war which brought country to edge of collapse
Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Hamad al-Sabah said Wednesday his country is ready to host the signing ceremony for an agreement on ending the war in Yemen if the parties involved reach a consensus.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/kuwait-ready-to-host-signing-of-yemen-peace-deal/1337088
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U.N. chief joins Yemen peace talks as pressure builds for port deal
The United Nations’ chief will join the final day of peace talks on Thursday between Yemen’s warring parties.
Western nations are pressing the Iran-aligned Houthi group and the Saudi-backed government to agree confidence-building steps for a political process to end the war that has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed Yemen toward famine.
and also https://www.voanews.com/a/yemen-negotiations-come-to-a-close/4698702.html
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/un-chief-joins-yemen-peace-talks
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US ambassador shares inside view of the Yemen peace talks
Matthew Toller said simply getting the two sides to negotiate was an achievement, and he hopes that further discussions will yield results in the weeks ahead
“It is clear that the talks of the international community with these parties indicate the unity of the international community’s position regarding the two sides,” he said. “I do not want to get into details but I assure you that the intentions of the five member states reflect a strong support for the role of the UN envoy.”
Toller believes that the Yemeni government delegation is doing its best to represent all Yemenis.
“When I look at the governmental delegation, I see a representation of Yemenis from all regions and political parties, in addition to a female member, which indicates that today’s government includes factions that were never (previously) considered a part of the Yemen’s future,” he said.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1420016/middle-east
and
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Tueller: Government Delegation Represents All Yemenis
US Ambassador to Yemen Mathew Tueller underlined the international community’s united stance towards the Yemeni crisis and its strong support to UN Envoy Martin Griffiths.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Tueller also praised the role assumed by the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al Jaber, saying that he highly respected the Saudi ambassador and describing him as a confident man, who “offers very constructive ideas and reflects his country’s keenness to end the war.”
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1502966/tueller-government-delegation-represents-all-yemenis
My comment: US ambassador Tueller (not: Toller) is one of the most extreme backers of the Saudi coalition. He has a very great influence – much more than an ambassador to a failed 3. World government would have – and seems to be an important and horrible puppet master in the background: https://theintercept.com/2017/12/13/yemen-war-peace-talks-matthew-tueller/. – He mentions “the international community”, but this is just meaning five ambassadors. In Western wording, “the international community” in reality often just means the US and its vassals, even if a great part of the other states is opposing them.
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Yemen: Low progress in Sweden talks
Hodeida remains a major stumbling block in efforts to arrive to an armistice in Yemen, though it is not the only obstacle to a political resolution
The UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths proposed the broad outlines for a roadmap. However, in a press conference, he indicated that it would be difficult to secure guarantees to ensure the implementation of any agreed-upon formula for a settlement. According to leaks cited in news reports from Sweden, the UN envoy attempted to overcome the impasse, which brought talks to a halt in Kuwait two years ago, over whether the security track should take priority over the political track, or vice versa. Griffiths proposed a package containing an equal measure of security and political arrangements. They included a comprehensive and simultaneous ceasefire followed by the implementation of a schedule for the gradual withdrawal of Houthi forces overseen by a military commission. No details were given regarding how that commission would be formed, which had been a sticking point in previous negotiations. According to a Yemeni source, although there are military leaders who kept aloof from the political biases that have divided the army since the outset of the crisis, the problem was how to select them and whether they would be accepted by all parties.
Griffiths also proposed beginning a new interim phase that would culminate in a referendum on a new constitution and general elections. The internationally recognised Yemeni government insists on retaining the three previously agreed on frames-of-reference as a basis for any interim phase, namely UN Security Council Resolution 2216 which recognises the government of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, the outputs of the National Dialogue and the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative. The Houthis call for a coalition government formed by Yemen’s political parties and they reject certain mechanisms in the GCC initiative and want to reopen talks on them.
The question of Hodeida continues to defy a breakthrough.
In a surprise development, Ahmed Ghaleb, a member of the Yemeni government delegation in Sweden, revealed the start of another set of talks on the economic track.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/26082.aspx
My comment: After an in initial Houthi blame game, a more serious article.
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Race to broker truce as Yemen talks enter final hours
With just hours left before the close of negotiations, UN mediators rushed to broker a truce Wednesday between government representatives and rebels in Yemen, a country teetering on the brink of famine.
Taiz, the southwestern city controlled by the government and surrounded by the rebels, is no longer under discussion at the talks, scheduled to close on Thursday.
Another round of talks has been tentatively scheduled for January, according to UN and Yemeni officials.
The head of the Huthis' revolutionary council, Mohammed Ali Huthi, on Wednesday said the insurgents had proposed Yemen's rebel-held capital, Sanaa, to host the next round.
A UN official said the organization had received no such request.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was due at the talks in Rimbo, Sweden, for Thursday's closing round of consultations.
https://www.afp.com/en/news/3954/race-broker-truce-yemen-talks-enter-final-hours-doc-1bj7f93 = http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/un-pushes-for-truce-humanitarian-corridors-at-yemen-talks/article/538829
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Aden to be main Yemen airport, foreign minister says
Yemen's foreign minister on Saturday said that the government-controlled city of Aden will be home to the country's main airport, in the midst of talks to reopen the rebel-held international airport in the capital Sanaa.
"We are ready to reopen Sanaa international airport today... but we have a vision that Aden will be the sovereign airport of Yemen," Khaled al-Yamani told AFP in his first interview since the talks opened in Sweden on Thursday.
https://www.france24.com/en/20181208-aden-be-main-yemen-airport-foreign-minister-says
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Yemen: Agreement to reopen Sanaa airport
Yemen’s warring parties agreed on Wednesday to reopen Sanaa airport in the Houthi-held capital, sources said, as Western nations pressed the two sides to accept confidence-building steps before the end of UN-led peace talks in Sweden, says Reuters.
The Iranian-aligned Houthi movement and the Saudi-backed government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi were still discussing a United Nations proposal on the contested port city of Hudaydah, a lifeline for millions of Yemenis facing starvation.
Hadi’s PM, Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, told reporters in the government’s base in the southern port of Aden that there might not be enough time for full agreement on Hudaydah as the talks, the first in over two years, concludes on Thursday.
“We talked about (it) a lot but with the limited time we have, we can’t talk about all the points in this round. The important thing is to build confidence and then go into the details of the Hudaydah file,” he said.
A UN spokeswoman said both parties had received a “final package” of agreements on the status of Hudaydah, Sanaa airport, a political framework and shoring up the economy. “We hope to receive positive responses,” she said.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181212-yemen-agreement-to-reopen-sanaa-airport/
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Yemen's warring parties to reopen Sanaa airport, resume oil exports: Report
Yemen's warring parties have agreed to reopen Sanaa airport in the Houthi-held capital and resume oil and gas exports, sources told Reuters news agency, as Western nations pressed them to accept confidence-building steps before the end of UN-led peace talks in Sweden.
Delegates from both sides told Reuters that they had agreed to resume oil and gas exports to help shore up central bank coffers, and the revenue will be used to pay salaries in both government and Houthi-held areas.
The Iranian-aligned Houthi movement and the Saudi-backed government of Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi were still discussing a UN proposal on the contested port city of Hodeidah, a lifeline for millions of Yemenis facing starvation, on Wednesday.
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UN envoy hands Yemen’s warring sides draft deal
The U.N. special envoy for Yemen on Wednesday gave the country’s warring sides at peace talks underway in Sweden a draft agreement they need to consider before this round of negotiations wraps up the following day.
The document consists of a set of proposals, including one for a political framework for a post-war Yemen, the reopening of the airport in the capital, Sanaa, and a proposal for the contested Red Sea port city of Hodeida, a lifeline for millions of Yemenis dependent on international aid.
Hanan Elbadawi, spokeswoman for U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths, said he would await the “responses from the two parties before announcing the details of the set of agreements” at the end of talks Thursday.
The statement raised expectations for progress in the U.N.-sponsored talks in the town of Rimbo, Sweden, between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels and the government of President Abed Rabbo
https://apnews.com/f85d6927d94d4f1a89d5bc756ea45dbe
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Yemen peace talks: what has been agreed?
The two warring sides in Yemen’s ongoing civil war are holding face-to-face discussions for the first time to discuss a potential prisoner swap, one of several confidence-building measures aimed at bringing the three-year conflict to an end.
[Overview]
https://www.theweek.co.uk/98460/yemen-peace-talks-what-has-been-agreed
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Conflict in Yemen must end now
The war in Yemen has to end now. There is no time to lose.
[Overview, somewhat older]
http://jordantimes.com/opinion/michael-jansen/conflict-yemen-must-end-now
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Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen: The Yemeni Women’s Technical Advisory Group Plays an Active Role During the Sweden Consultations
On the sidelines of the Sweden Consultations, the Yemeni Women’s Technical Advisory Group held meetings with the two parties as well as members of the diplomatic community and the Foreign Minister of Sweden, Ms. Margot Wallström.
The Technical Advisory Group discussed possible ways of bringing the voices of Yemeni women to the peace-making process. The Group has also engaged in presenting strategy papers and proposals that guide the Special Envoy in his mediation role to bring the war to an end.
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Saudi Crown Prince Discusses Yemen with UN Chief
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, received on Wednesday a telephone call from United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, reported the Saudi Press Agency.
The two officials discussed the latest developments in Yemen and efforts to bring peace to the country
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1501991/saudi-crown-prince-discusses-yemen-un-chief
My comment: By such a contact, Guterres pollutes himself.
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-490-yemen-war-mosaic-490
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-490 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-490:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
Der saudische Luftkrieg im Bild / Saudi aerial war images:
(18 +, Nichts für Sensible!) / (18 +; Graphic!)
http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
http://yemenwarcrimes.blogspot.de/
und alle Liste aller Luftangriffe / and list of all air raids:
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