The UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, confirmed that the practices of the Houthi militia, represented by the arrest of UN employees and civil organizations, its continued escalation against navigation in the Red Sea, the economic war, and the escalation on the fighting fronts, are all practices that indicate that it is an ineffective party and does not seek a solution. Conflict through mediation.

The envoy said in his briefing, today, before the UN Security Council: “The Houthis launched a repressive campaign against Yemeni civil society, non-governmental organizations and the United Nations, and they arbitrarily arrested 13 United Nations employees and five from the rest of the civil and international organizations, and placed them in detention.” “Incommunicado detention,” adding, “Such arbitrary detentions are not the expected signal of an actor seeking a mediated solution to the conflict.”

The envoy expressed his concern about the Houthis issuing death sentences for 45 people on June 1, urging the militia to respect the rights of Yemenis under international law and to release all United Nations and non-governmental organization employees immediately and unconditionally.

In his briefing, the envoy addressed the Houthi escalation in the Red Sea, noting that this threatens a peaceful solution to the conflict in Yemen, and that the Houthis, instead of putting the Yemenis first, chose to take measures that threaten to jeopardize previous commitments and return matters to square one.

He explained that the zero-sum outcome is most evident in the economy, which contracted sharply following the Houthi attack on oil export facilities in 2023, which led to a complete cessation of crude oil exports and severely affected the income of the Yemeni government.

The envoy also addressed the rapid developments in the banking sector, warning of the impact on imports of basic goods into the country.

Regarding the military situation, the envoy indicated that there was a gradual escalation in fighting by the Houthis, as clashes were reported in Al-Dhalea, Lahj, Ma’rib and Taiz... expressing his concern about the impact of the regional situation and the escalatory speeches and actions of the parties on peace efforts in Yemen.< /p>

Despite these events, he expressed his optimism in light of the developments he described as positive, including the opening of roads, stressing his determination to bring the parties together to discuss the economy, release detainees linked to the conflict, open additional roads, and put the final touches on the road map, noting that He informed the Houthis of holding a dialogue without preconditions under the auspices of the United Nations.