UN envoy warns of ‘heightened risk of war’ after end of Yemen truce

The United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has warned that the failure to extend the ceasefire agreement between the Houthis and the Yemeni government will lead to a “heightened risk of war”, Anadolu news agency reported.

Speaking during a Security Council briefing yesterday, Grundberg said the truce started to alleviate the suffering of Yemeni men and women and offered a truly historic opportunity to build trust and to work towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Failure to extend the truce beyond 2 October, the day the second extension of the truce ended, caused new uncertainty for the country and a heightened risk of war, he added.

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Grundberg stressed that there is still a possibility to reach an agreement on the renewal and expansion of the truce if the parties demonstrate the required leadership, compromise and flexibility, including regular and unhindered flow of fuel to the ports of Hudaydah.

“It is important to remember that the truce was never intended as an end in itself, but as a building block to enhance trust between the parties and establish a conducive environment to work toward a political solution to the conflict,” he added.

Tensions have escalated in Yemen between the Presidential Council and the Houthis over the past two days, after the Yemeni parties failed to extend the ceasefire agreement.

For over seven years, Yemen has witnessed a continuous war between forces loyal to the internationally-recognised government, backed by an Arab military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, and the Iranian-backed Houthis, who have controlled several governorates including the capital, Sanaa, since September 2014.

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