I urge all parties to renew their commitment to the ceasefire and the United Nations process, and work with the global community to find a way to end the violence and provide a peaceful future for Yemen’s people. A Saudi-led coalition launched an air campaign against the Houthis in March 2015, pushing them out of southern Yemen, but has failed so far to dislodge them from Sanaa and the rest of the north. Kerry arrived in Jeddah late on Wednesday from Nigeria for discussions with Saudi leaders and other Gulf Arab states and will also update them on US meetings with Russian Federation on military cooperation in Syria, a senior USA official said ahead of the talks.
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After Reuters filed the report, Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said in a statement that, “Even as we assist the Saudis regarding their territorial integrity, it does not mean that we will refrain from expressing our concern about the war in Yemen and how it has been waged”. United States lawmakers have also expressed concern about Washington’s role in the conflict. “It is a threat to the United States and it can not continue”.
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states back rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces, and are members of the USA -led coalition bombing IS in Iraq and Syria.
In a statement, Zeid’s office said he “called on the worldwide community to establish an global, independent body to carry out comprehensive investigations in Yemen”, noting in particular “challenges” faced by the national panel set up under President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi – notably, security concerns.
More than 6,000 Yemenis have been killed in the conflict – more than half of whom were civilians.
“The threat potentially posed by the shipment of missiles and other sophisticated weapons into Yemen from Iran extends well beyond Yemen and is not a threat just to Saudi Arabia and… the region”, he told reporters.
He also met with Foreign Minister Alawi bin Abdullah of Oman before a meeting with other Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers from Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar.
Briefing the media, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said Gulf states urge the Yemeni parties to return to the negotiating table and to reach an agreement for peace and stability in Yemen.
Kerry said all participants agreed that a solution to the war must respect the security of Saudi Arabia and provide, “the Houthis, a minority, an opportunity to be part of a government in the future”.
Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior; Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense; and other Saudi officials hold talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Jeddah, Wednesday night. Both countries have sold Saudi Arabia billions of dollars of weapons for use in Yemen since the war began. Human rights groups have argued that US forces may also be responsible under the rules of war for civilian casualties because of its support for the Saudi campaign.
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The new funding will cover food and nutrition assistance to help those suffering from moderate to severe malnutrition, emergency health care, hygiene kits, psychosocial support, and access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
