The UN envoy for Yemen said Tuesday he was "very concerned" over fighting for the rebel-held port of Hodeida, as government forces close in on the main gateway for aid into the war-torn country.
Martin Griffiths was speaking as he wrapped up a three-day visit aimed at reviving talks between Saudi-backed loyalist forces and Huthi rebels. "Apart from the avoidable humanitarian consequences of such a battle, I am also very concerned about the impact (on) chances of a political settlement of this conflict," he told reporters in the capital Sanaa. The envoy, appointed to the post in February, told reporters at Sanaa airport that his talks had been "positive" but warned of the impact of the Hodeida fight on civilians. "My aim is to restart negotiations which have not taken place for a very long time - for too long - and I want that to restart in the very near future," he said. Multiple rounds of United Nations-brokered talks between Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels and the country's government, allied with Saudi Arabia, have failed to find a solution to the Yemen war.
Three years of fighting have claimed 10,000 lives and pushed the country to the brink of famine. The battle for Hodeida port, controlled by the Huthis, has killed more than 100 soldiers and insurgents in less than a week, medics and military sources close the government say.
The rebels, who have so far refused to withdraw from the port, claim 418 loyalist fighters have been killed.
Griffiths is due to report to the Security Council on June 18 on his peace efforts. The UN recognises the cabinet of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi as the legitimate government of Yemen. The Iran-backed Huthis have regularly accused the international body of bias.