Diplomatic Efforts Intensify To Resolve Yemen’s Decadelong Conflict

United Nations leads discussion on Yemen's political settlement

The United Nations special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, recently concluded a key meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss the ongoing civil conflict in Yemen. The talks, which involved discussions with Yemeni and Saudi officials, focused on the critical need for a political settlement and addressing the dire humanitarian conditions in Yemen. Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council chairman, Rashad Al-Alimi, and other senior Yemeni officials participated in these discussions.

During his visit, Grundberg emphasized the importance of inclusive intra-Yemeni political consultations to end the conflict. The discussions also included Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak and Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohamed Al Jaber, where all parties acknowledged the necessity of constructive engagement to achieve a comprehensive political resolution.

This UN-led initiative comes as Yemen’s civil war, which began in 2014, persists in causing extreme humanitarian crises, including famine and economic collapse. The war, initially a domestic conflict, gained international dimensions with the intervention of a Saudi Arabia-led coalition in 2015, supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government against the Houthi rebels. Grundberg’s efforts are part of renewed attempts to establish a nationwide cease-fire and seek a long-term political solution to alleviate the widespread suffering of civilians in Yemen.