We are watching developments in Yemen with great concern. For the past two months an Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been carrying out air strikes against strategic positions of the Houthi rebels.
Serious armed conflicts between various Yemeni factions are raging simultaneously in different parts of the country. The conflict is resulting in an increasing number of civilian causalities.
Yemen’s air and sea ports have been blockaded since the air strikes began. The country is cut off from humanitarian aid and the Yemeni population is suffering from a shortage of water, food, medicaments, and fuel. Throughout much of the country, the infrastructure has broken down completely.
The sustained military intervention is jeopardising any chance of a peaceful resolution of the conflict. This military intervention has transformed a local Yemeni power struggle into a war with international dimensions giving rise to fears of a long-term destabilisation throughout the entire region. The ongoing combat operations threaten to destroy social cohesion in Yemen, posing the risk that the country could fracture along sectarian, territorial, and regional lines.
- We hereby call upon the international community to use all diplomatic means at their disposal to bring about an immediate end to combat operations in Yemen and to work towards a permanent ceasefire between the parties to the conflict. The current blockade of the air and sea ports must be lifted to avert a humanitarian catastrophe and to enable the supply of water, food, medicaments, and fuel to the people of Yemen.
- We call upon the international community to expedite efforts to find a basis for peace talks and to initiate a political conflict resolution process. In this context, we support the efforts of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismael Ould Cheikh Ahmed, and the discussions he is holding with the parties involved in the conflict. The negotiation of a political settlement must take place at a neutral location, and the process needs to be conducted in an inclusive and transparent manner, and should encompass a re-evaluation of the transition process to date.
- We strongly support those Yemeni actors who continue to advocate a peaceful solution to the conflict. In particular, we welcome the efforts of our sister party, the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP), to reinstate the political process.