UN envoy concerned by fight for key Yemen port
The UN envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, said on 5 June that he was ‘very concerned’ over fighting for the rebel-held port of Hodeida, as government forces close in on the main gateway for aid into the war-torn country.
Griffiths told reporters in the capital Sanaa: ‘Apart from the avoidable humanitarian consequences of such a battle, I am also very concerned about the impact (on) chances of a political settlement of this conflict.’
Griffiths on 5 June wrapped up a three-day visit aimed at brokering negotiations between Saudi-backed loyalist forces and Huthi rebels.
The envoy, appointed to the post in February 2018, told reporters at Sanaa airport that the talks had been ‘positive’ but warned of the impact of the Hodeida fight on civilians.
Griffiths said: ‘We are working very hard, focusing every day on moving forward in the political process. My aim is to restart negotiations which have not taken place for a very long time – for too long – and I want that to restart in the very near future.’
Griffiths is due to report to the Security Council on 18 June on his peace efforts.
Multiple rounds of UN-brokered talks between Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels and the country's government, allied with Saudi Arabia, have failed.
The Huthis seized control of the capital in 2014, driving the government south and sparking an intervention the next year by a military alliance led by Saudi Arabia.
More than 22 million people are now in serious need of aid, with 8.4 million on the brink of starvation, according to the United Nations.
The world body considers the situation in Yemen the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
The conflict has left nearly 10,000 people dead in what was already the Arab world's poorest country.
More from Defence Notes
-
![Why small guns have been critical to layered CUAS architectures]()
Why small guns have been critical to layered CUAS architectures
Multiple countries have been deploying small arms as the last line of drone defence due to their multiple operational and tactical advantages.
-
![Singapore Airshow 2026: ST Engineering hints at export success for AME assault rifle family]()
Singapore Airshow 2026: ST Engineering hints at export success for AME assault rifle family
The Singapore-based technology company unveiled its new rifle family at this week’s airshow. Chen Chuanren spoke with the ST Engineering’s head of small arms to find out more about how the weapons have been refined.
-
![High tension in the High North – a wake-up call for NATO’s future Arctic defence efforts?]()
High tension in the High North – a wake-up call for NATO’s future Arctic defence efforts?
Any potential ‘Arctic Sentry’ mission would be months in the planning, but with tensions high in the region given the US’s push for Greenland, NATO countries will need to continue to emphasise their commitment to the region, analysts have said.
-
![Venezuela prepares personnel and equipment for a potential second US attack]()
Venezuela prepares personnel and equipment for a potential second US attack
Defence Minister Gen Vladimir Padrino López has declared that the Venezuelan armed forces “will continue to employ all its available capabilities for military defence”.
-
![As the new year starts, the UK defence spending delay continues]()
As the new year starts, the UK defence spending delay continues
The UK’s defence spending commitments remain uncertain as the government’s Defence Investment Plan, which had been due by the end of 2025, is yet to be published.
