Yemen's New UN Envoy to Assume Duties Soon

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg will assume his duties from September 5 and will brief the UN Security Council for the first time next month, his office said on Tuesday. The 15-member Security Council approved the appointment of Grundberg, a Swedish diplomat, this month to replace Martin Griffiths, who became the UN aid chief.

In his final briefing to the UN Security Council last June, Griffiths expressed “deep regret” that he failed to mediate a ceasefire and peace talks between Yemen’s warring parties, but said he hoped a recent diplomatic effort by Oman “will bear fruit.” Griffiths, who painted a bleak picture of the Arab world’s poorest country, said that Yemen is in the throes of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

He said Yemenis are forced to “live under violence, insecurity and fear, with limits to their freedom of movement, religion and free expression.” He blamed the lack of courage of leaders on both sides — the government and Houthi rebels — for failing to choose a path to peace over continuing conflict.