Griffiths concludes a regional visit to Sanaa and Riyadh, and remains encouraged by the political commitment of the parties to the Stockholm Agreement

The Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, concluded his visit to Riyadh, Sanaa and Hudayda.

In Sanaa, Griffiths met with Ansar Allah leader, Abdulmalik Al Houthi, in addition to senior political officials of Ansar Allah and representatives of the General People's Congress party. The purpose of his visit was to discuss the rapid and effective implementation of the Stockholm Agreement. He also discussed the deployment of UN staff in support of the implementation of the Hodeidah agreement. The Special Envoy is encouraged by the responsiveness demonstrated by the leadership of Ansar Aallah in that regard. The Special Envoy also discussed the resumption of political consultations, stressing the importance of achieving substantial progress in implementing the Stockholm Agreement, as we move towards convening the next round of consultations. Griffiths also welcomed the positive engagement and commitment of Ansar Allah and the Saudi-led Coalition in the release of a Saudi-detainee, in need of urgent medical treatment, and seven Ansar Allah detainees. 

In Hudayda, the Special Envoy met with General Patrick Cammaert and local officials, and stressed the importance of the rapid implementation of the Hudayda Agreement, in particular speedy redeployments according to an RCC plan. Griffiths expressed concern about recent hostilities in Yemen and called on all parties to exercise utmost restraint and de-escalate tensions, in Hudayda and in other parts of Yemen.

During his visit to Riyadh, Griffiths received assurances from President Hadi and the Saudi-led Coalition of their continued commitment to respect and fully implement the Stockholm Agreement. Griffths appreciated that the parties have demonstrated the necessary flexibility and good faith regarding the timelines for implementation and the technical challenges that need to be resolved on the ground. The parties also recognize the political and humanitarian importance of the full implementation of the Stockholm agreement. The Special Envoy reiterated the commitment of the United Nations to continue working with the parties to overcome any challenges in this regard.