US Yemen envoy Lenderking to hold talks in Saudi Arabia over Houthi Marib offensive

LONDON: The US envoy to Yemen is headed to Saudi Arabia and Oman for talks with senior government officials, the State Department said on Tuesday.
“Attempting to forestall the devastating consequences of the Houthi offensive on Marib, US Special Envoy Lenderking’s discussions will focus on achieving an urgent comprehensive, nationwide, and sustainable cease-fire to ensure the regular and unobstructed delivery of essential commercial goods and humanitarian assistance throughout Yemen and a transition to an inclusive political process,” the statement said.
The Houthis have been mounting a major offensive on the city of Marib since February in a bid to seize control of the government’s last bastion in the northern half of the country. The area contains oil reserves, gas fields and large electricity stations.
Lenderking will also “continue to advocate for the unimpeded flow of goods through all ports and work to build on the international consensus to halt the Houthi offensive on Marib, which is the main obstacle to ongoing peace efforts and threatens one million already vulnerable internally displaced people, as well as countless others who call Marib their home.”
Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Nayef Al-Hajjraf met with UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, where both sides called on the international community to pressure the Iran-backed Houthis to prioritize Yemen’s interest and respond to the Saudi peace initiative.
Saudi ambassador to Yemen Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber met Lenderking and Griffiths in Riyadh where they discussed the Yemeni cease-fire and the Houthi militia’s failure to commit to it, as well as their continued offensive in Marib, where more than two million displaced persons have fled the fighting from northern Yemen.