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Russia hails US intention to join conflict settlement efforts in Yemen

Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, said the logic of armed confrontation in Yemen gains the upper hand

UNITED NATIONS, March 16. /TASS/. The United States’ declared intention to actively join efforts for a settlement of the conflict in Yemen make one hopeful that the conflict in that Arab country, which aggravated lately, will be settled at last, Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, said on Tuesday.

"Lately, there have been encouraging signals from Washington," he said. "We have taken note of the decision to remove the Houthi movement Ansar Allah from the list of terrorist organizations, and also the US administration’s proclaimed intention to join the efforts for the sake of prompt termination of this conflict. If this constructive attitude is followed by corresponding practical moves, the chances for restoring long-sought peace and stability will objectively grow."

For the time being, Nebenzya said, the logic of armed confrontation in Yemen gains the upper hand.

"Today’s video conference of the UN Security Council is being held against a backdrop of dangerous escalation of tensions in Yemen, where as a result of a nearly six-year-long bloody conflict more than two-thirds of the population are in dire need of urgent humanitarian aid," he said. "It has to be stated with regret that the logic of armed confrontation still gains the upper hand. The situation in the area of Marib, where fierce clashes resumed at the beginning of February, is particularly alarming."

The standoff between Yemen’s government forces and Houthi rebels has lasted since August 2014. Its most active phase followed when the Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in March 2015. The more than five-year-old conflict has brought about one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. According to the United Nations, more than 24 million Yemenis - about 80% of the country’s population - need humanitarian aid. Internally displaced persons number more than 3 million.