clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

US presses Saudi to end Yemen war

October 31, 2018 at 3:53 pm

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo [Yasin Öztürk/Anadolu Agency]

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday called for a cessation of hostilities in Yemen and said UN-led negotiations to end the civil war should begin next month, Reuters reported.

In a statement, Pompeo said missile and drone strikes by Iran-allied Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates should stop, and the Saudi-led coalition must cease air strikes in all populated areas of Yemen.

READ: Yemen war kills one civilian every three hours

Yemen is one of the poorest Arab countries and faces the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by a nearly four-year-old war that pits the Houthis against the internationally recognised government backed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the West.

“The time is now for the cessation of hostilities, including missile and UAV strikes from Houthi-controlled areas into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates,” Pompeo said, using an acronym for unmanned aerial vehicles.

“Subsequently, Coalition air strikes must cease in all populated areas in Yemen,” he added.

READ: Air strikes kill at least 16 civilians in Yemen’s Hodeidah

The United States helps the coalition by refueling its jets and providing training in targeting. Pompeo said last month that he had certified to the US Congress that Saudi Arabia and the UAE were working to reduce civilian casualties in Yemen.

Three-quarters of Yemen’s population, or 22 million people, require aid and 8.4 million people are on the brink of starvation.

Yemeni children affected by the Saudi-coalition war - Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

Yemeni children affected by the Saudi-coalition war – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]