United Nations, New York, USA, June 24 2015 – Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, speaks to journalists, following his closed-door briefing to the Security Council.
On the Photo: Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed the Secretary-General’s Envoy for Yemen
Credit: Luiz Rampelotto/EuropaNewswire
After briefing the Security Council today the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, said that last week’s Geneva Initial Consultations on Yemen “were a milestone on the path of reviving the Yemeni led political transition.”
Speaking to reporters outside the Council, the Special Envoy said that
“despite the raging battles, the ongoing violence and the dramatic humanitarian situation, Yemeni answered the Secretary-General’s invitation and participated in the initial consultations.”
On the Photo: Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed the Secretary-General’s Envoy for Yemen
Credit: Luiz Rampelotto/EuropaNewswire
Nevertheless he acknowledged that
“deep division between the parties and lack of compromise which prevented an agreement that was within reach.”
Ould Cheikh Ahmed said
“both sides showed signs of constructive engagement” and added that while a more permanent solution is pursued, he had called on parties “to agree without delay to a humanitarian truce, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.”
The current crisis in Yemen has severely impacted access to water, sanitation, preventive and clinical services, and shelter in many governorates that has led to an increased risk of disease outbreaks, particularly among the internally displaced people and the large segments of the population affected by the crisis.
The Special envoy stressed that this should be a Yemeni led process but noted that
“we have been listening to all the countries in the region and to all the sub regional entities, etcetera, to get ideas and to see how the future of any brokered peace agreements could be implemented even, or ideas that could lead us to that.”
The stated goal of the Geneva consultations is to find a peaceful way out of the conflict and to safeguard the achievement of Yemen’s transition as set out in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) agreement and its implementation mechanism, and supported and followed by various Security Council Resolutions, including Security Council resolution 2216 (2015) and the outcome of the National Dialogue.
“There is an emerging common ground up on which we can build to achieve an eventual cease-fire coupled with the withdrawal of combatants,” he continued. “While we pursue a sustainable long-term cessation of violence, I called on all the relevant parties to agree without delay to a humanitarian truce, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.”
“We should not forget that Yemenis are living under dire conditions and it pains me to witness this ongoing suffering,” concluded the UN envoy.
Source: UNTV and EuropaNewswire