War in Gaza narrows mediation space in Yemen: UN envoy

The Security Council holds a meeting on the situation in Yemen at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 14, 2024. [Xinhua]

United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned Thursday that the war in Gaza is narrowing the mediation space in Yemen and risks reversing the peace process.

"The mediation space has grown more complex," said Grundberg. "Although we have tried to shield the peace process from regional developments since the war in Gaza, the reality is ... that what happens regionally impacts Yemen and what happens in Yemen can impact the region."

Last week, the Houthis attacked a bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden, killing and wounding several crew members. Another vessel that the Houthis recently struck, the Rubymar, left an oil slick and has now sunk in the Red Sea along with its cargo, he told the Security Council in a briefing.

"Regrettably, the current trajectory gives cause for serious concern," said Grundberg.

The longer the escalatory environment continues, the more challenging Yemen's mediation space will become. With more interests at play, the parties to the conflict in Yemen are more likely to shift calculations and alter their negotiation agendas. In a worst-case scenario, the parties could decide to engage in risky military adventurism that propels Yemen back into a new cycle of war, he said.

"Therefore, allow me to emphasize the importance of remaining focused on the long-term aims that we are seeking to achieve in Yemen," said Grundberg. "In order to protect progress on the peace process, I urge all those involved to exercise maximum restraint and work toward de-escalation."

With the Red Sea now part of a wider set of concentric circles of escalation, the envoy reiterated UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' warning about the risk of further spillover of the Gaza conflict across the region and his recent calls for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza.

Inside Yemen, although hostilities have remained at relatively low levels compared with the pre-2022 truce period, there have been continued clashes and troop movements in various areas. The parties also continue to make public threats to return to war, he said.

Amid the regional turmoil, his focus remains on reaching a cease-fire and starting a political process. This is the only way to resolve the conflict in Yemen, said Grundberg.