UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th June, 2021) Outgoing UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths said on Tuesday the outlook for the country remains bleak as political talks have made only limited progress, but Houthi rebels' commitment to a nationwide ceasefire could turn the corner in the conflict.
"The gap between the parties - the government of Yemen ad Ansarallah [Houthis] remains too wide for me to announce what I would love to announce, which was that we had a deal. We tried to bridge the gap, but so far, we have not been able to do so," Griffiths said in his press conference in his current capacity.
Griffiths said the picture on Yemen after six years of war remains "awfully bleak" for humanitarian, political and military reasons.
"The crucial area that we are focusing on here is a commitment to the ceasefire from Ansarallah [Houthis], in addition, of course to the opening up the ports and the airport and then the political process," he said. "If we can zero in on how we can be sure that that's going to happen, then I think we may finally be turning the corner on Yemen just as I depart."
Concluding his more than a three-year-long assignment, Griffiths praised the "diplomatic firepower" conducted in the recent months by US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking and the region.
Oman, whose delegation visited the capital of Sanaa last week, has recently intensified the efforts to try to achieve the ceasefire between the Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government.
