MARIB, YEMEN
UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths on Saturday called for an immediate end to military action by Yemen’s warring parties as renewed violence between the Houthi movement and a Saudi-led coalition threatened peace efforts. Fierce battles have resumed in al-Jawf province since last month and culminated with the Houthi group taking control of its capital al-Hazem last week, as the Saudi-led coalition resumed air strikes against the region’s towns and villages. The fighting in al-Jawf in northern Yemen has displaced around 70,000 people, or 10,000 families, to neighboring Marib province, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Saturday. “Last week I issued a public call for a freeze on military activities. Today, I am reiterating that call for an immediate and unconditional freeze….Yemen simply cannot wait,” Griffiths told reporters in the central city of Marib.
