Amman, January 9, 2025 — The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, concluded today a visit to Sana’a. He held discussions with senior political and military officials to renew engagement on the political process, focusing on addressing challenges and exploring possibilities for advancing peace within the region’s complex context.

During his meetings, Special Envoy Grundberg stressed the importance of national and regional de-escalation to foster an environment conducive to dialogue. He urged the need to agree on concrete actions to pave the way forward for a political process to achieve sustainable peace and stability across Yemen. The discussions also highlighted the importance of taking steps to address economic challenges and improve living conditions, while simultaneously advancing preparations for a ceasefire – critical components of the road map and reaching a political resolution that meets the aspirations of Yemenis. 

“I am determined to safeguard the progress made to date on the roadmap and keep focus on the prospects for peace in Yemen,” said Grundberg.

Discussions on the conflict-related detainees file built on the progress made during negotiations held in Oman in July 2024. The Special Envoy emphasized that the file is vital for confidence building between the parties and advancing previous commitments. He underscored the importance of prioritizing this humanitarian issue as a step toward fostering trust that can help enable broader agreements and signal commitment to the peace process.

The Special Envoy started his visit at the home of the family of his colleague who has been arbitrarily detained by Ansar Allah since June 2024. He expressed his deepest compassion for what they have been enduring during this difficult period and offered his support. Grundberg updated the family on the UN efforts to secure the release of all arbitrarily detained personnel. He also expressed solidarity with the families of the other detainees, acknowledging their shared anguish and the urgent need for their loved ones' release.

In all his discussions, the Special Envoy strongly urged Ansar Allah to release immediately and unconditionally the detained personnel from the UN, NGOs, civil society, and diplomatic missions. He echoed the Secretary General’s message that the arbitrary detentions are unacceptable and constitute a violation of international law.
“We must protect the role of civil society and humanitarian personnel.  They make vital contributions to peace and rebuilding Yemen,” stated the Special Envoy.