Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Official Web Site
Riyadh
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Dr. Afrah Al-Zouba today discussed with the UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg the latest political and humanitarian developments in Yemen, as well as related UN and international efforts amid the continued escalation by the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist militia and its threats to the security of international maritime navigation.
During the meeting, held via video conference, Minister Al-Zouba reviewed the repercussions of the ongoing Houthi escalation and attacks targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea. She affirmed that these actions do not reflect the interests of the Yemeni people, but rather demonstrate the nature of the Houthi terrorist militia’s alignment with Iran’s expansionist agenda and its efforts to use Yemeni territory and waters as a platform for exerting pressure, dragging the country into a cycle of regional escalation, threatening maritime security in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden, and undermining prospects for achieving security and stability in Yemen and the region.
Minister Al-Zouba noted that the Yemeni people have borne, over the past twelve years, a heavy humanitarian and economic cost as a result of the Houthi coup, including the looting of state resources, attacks on oil export facilities, disruption of public services, and obstruction of humanitarian aid deliveries. She explained that the militia’s project is based on discriminatory rhetoric that contradicts the principle of equal citizenship and seeks to turn citizens in areas under its control into hostages.
She highlighted the Houthi terrorist militia’s intransigence and refusal to seriously engage in addressing political, humanitarian, and economic issues, including its obstruction of proposed solutions to operate civilian flights through Sana’a International Airport via the national carrier, its failure to implement the agreement on the release of prisoners and detainees, its exploitation of humanitarian issues for political and military blackmail, and its use of periods of calm to reposition, rearm, and strengthen its military capabilities.
Minister Al-Zouba stressed that the current truce should serve as a pathway toward a political solution, rather than a cover for entrenching the status quo and prolonging the crisis. She emphasized the need for the international community to exert serious and effective pressure to compel the Houthi militia to fulfill its commitments and halt practices that exacerbate the suffering of the Yemeni people.
The UN Envoy congratulated Minister Al-Zouba on her appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, wishing her success in her duties. He briefed her on the outcomes of his recent contacts and consultations and commended the Yemeni government’s commitment to supporting UN efforts.
Hans Grundberg underscored the importance of preventing Yemen from being drawn into further regional tensions and advancing an inclusive and just political process that fulfills the aspirations of the Yemeni people for security and stability.