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Coalition’s strikes on Yemen hurt UN mediation efforts — special envoy

According to Hans Grundberg, sustainable peace in Yemen is achievable, but UN diplomats need de-escalation in the Middle East on the whole to work more effectively

UNITED NATIONS, September 28. /TASS/. The Western coalition's strikes on Yemen and Houthi attacks are among the factors that limit the UN mediation efforts, said UN secretary-general’s Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg.

"We've seen a situation involving Houthi strikes in the Red Sea on civilian ships, and then counterstrikes, notably from the United States and the United Kingdom, on positions inside Yemen," he told TASS on the sidelines of the current UN General Assembly session. "That clearly is an overall development that limits the space for the mediation efforts that my office is conducting."

According to the diplomat, sustainable peace in Yemen is achievable, but UN diplomats need de-escalation in the Middle East on the whole to work more effectively.

"I am convinced that that is possible to happen, but we also need to ensure that the environment is the right one," he said.

For now his team in Yemen is focused on "some urgent matters that risk to destabilize the situation further," the envoy said.

Following the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis said they would strike Israeli territory and prevent ships affiliated with that country from passing through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait until the operation in the Palestinian enclave ended. The Houthis have attacked dozens of civilian ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since mid-November.

In response to these attacks, the US and UK announced preparations for Operation Prosperity Guardian to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. Afterward, the UK and US started carrying out regular strikes on Houthi military sites in various Yemeni provinces.

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