UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, has called for an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire in the region as tens of thousands of civilians have been forced to flee from the northern province of Al-Jawf after violent clashes.
This follows the Houthi rebels capturing the provincial capital of Al-Hazm which sparked further violence in the region during a month in which both sides felt hope for a permanent de-escalation of the conflict.
Griffiths told reporters that Yemen was “at a critical juncture: we will either silence the guns and resume the political process, or we will slip back into large-scale conflict”.
He further stated;
"Fighting needs to stop now. Military adventurism and the quest for territorial gains are futile […] They will only drag Yemen to many more years of conflict.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said that they along with the Yemen Red Crescent Society have helped to provide shelter, food and hygiene kits to approximately 70,000 people. However, the increasing violence continues to play civilians at risk.
Read more from Al Jazeera and the UN News.
