Amman, 20 January 2022 - The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, concluded a visit to Riyadh today. He met with the Saudi Vice Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman, Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Bin Mubarak, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Nayef Al Hajraf, as well as other Saudi officials and Yemeni interlocutors. Special Envoy Grundberg also had indepth discussions with the P5. 

During his meetings, Mr. Grundberg denounced the recent wave of military escalation that has engulfed Yemen, including heavy airstrikes on Sana’a, and spilled over the borders to the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He expressed grave concern about the impact of this escalation on the prospects of peace in Yemen and the heavy toll it has taken on civilian lives and livelihoods. 

 Mr. Grundberg exchanged views on possible options to achieve immediate de-escalation and pave the way for comprehensive  political talks. 

“Airstrikes, missiles and drones, are continuing to claim civilian lives and damage civilian infrastructure, both in Yemen and in neighboring countries.  This is disrupting the prospects of a comprehensive political solution and exacerbating the humanitarian suffering in Yemen,” Mr. Grundberg said. 

Mr. Grundberg has been in close contact with all sides and urged them to exercise maximum restraint, and to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. He also called on the warring parties to engage constructively with his Office to facilitate the immediate de-escalation of violence.