Griffiths: Yemen needs a decent life and a unified government that is accountable to its people

UN envoy Martin Griffiths stressed that “the only way out of the impasse of war and divisions in the south of the country is the commitment of political leaders to dialogue.”
In a session of the Security Council, Griffiths said, regarding the efforts to cease fire in Yemen, that “a ceasefire in Yemen will have an undeniable humanitarian value,” adding, “It will also allow the opening of vital and humanitarian roads in Taiz and Marib.”
He pointed out that “the continued closure of Sanaa International Airport, and the restrictions impeding the entry of fuel through Hodeidah, are unjustified and must be addressed,” noting that “the people in Taiz suffered as a result of the harsh war, with the regular bombing of their homes, schools, places of worship and businesses, and no one should live like this.”
He continued, “The shameful thing is that the Stockholm Agreement on Taiz was not implemented and did not result in any results,” noting that “Yemen needs, for a decent life, a government that is accountable to its people, and united in providing basic rights to people.”
On the political settlement in Yemen, Griffiths said that it “must reflect the interests of the various parties to the conflict, and it must also guarantee the interests and rights of the people most affected by the conflict,” stressing that “the parties to the conflict in Yemen have not overcome their differences so far.”
He stressed that “what was possible in terms of resolving the conflict in the past years is no longer possible today,” adding that “what is possible today may not be possible in the future.”