(MENAFN- Arab Times) KUWAIT CITY April 22 (Agencies): Kuwait said late Tuesday the end of Operation Decisive Storm and triggering of Operation Renewal of Hope would pave way for political action on basis of UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution 2216. The Renewal of Hope will trigger launch of humanitarian operations to honor dire needs of the Yemeni people Foreign Undersecretary Khaled Al-Jarallah said. He was speaking to reporters on sidelines of a dinner banquet held by Acting Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Sabah for heads of Kuwaiti missions abroad on the occasion of their 8th conference.
UN resolution 2216 condemned the military operations launched by the Houthi militias against the legitimate government in Yemen imposed sanctions against the militias their leader and son of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The resolution adopted under Chapter VII of the UN Charter called for the resumption of political process on the basis of the GCC initiative and its implementation mechanism and outcome of the national dialogue. Al-Jarallah said Kuwait was confident the Saudi forces were capable of deterring any attempt to undermine the security and stability of the Kingdom. He said any initiative aimed at solving the conflict in Yemen should be based on UN resolution 2216.
Al-Jarallah hoped peace would be restored in Yemen and 'the parties that harmed the Yemeni people listen to the voice of reason and return to the table of negotiations.' The Kuwaiti official said the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was involved in the reconstruction of Yemen citing Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz's $274 million donation to provide humanitarian supplies for the needy Yemeni people.
Rebuild
The six GCC countries were helping Yemen before the March 26 Operation Decisive Storm said Al-Jarallah 'and will not hesitate in further efforts to help and rebuild Yemen.' Asked about the framework agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group Al- Jarallah said the deal would be followed by 'long and tough negotiations until a final agreement is reached by end of next June.' The GCC welcomed the framework agreement and welcomed efforts of the P5+1 group members. Meanwhile rival forces fought on in Yemen on Wednesday despite a declared halt to a Saudi-led bombing campaign showing how tough it may be to find a political solution to a war stirring animosities between rival Gulf powers Saudi Arabia and Iran. Tuesday's announcement by Riyadh that it would end almost a month of air strikes against the Iranian-allied Houthis drew positive responses from both the White House and Tehran as well as fresh calls for peace talks and for urgent deliveries of humanitarian aid. But hours later Houthi fighters captured an army brigade base loyal to the government in Yemen's central city of Taiz following heavy fighting. A Saudi air strike hit the brigade headquarters shortly afterwards residents said.
Loyalty
The brigade along with several other army units had declared its loyalty to exiled president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Pro-Hadi militiamen fought clashes on Wednesday throughout southern Yemen against the Houthis and their army allies loyal to powerful ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh and residents in the main port city of Aden reported heavy tank shelling and bursts of automatic gunfire in several neighbourhoods. Yemen's south has been the bulwark of resistance against the Houthi advance and locals expressed dismay at the end to Saudi strikes which had supported their forces. 'The decision was strange and totally unexpected.
Our fighters had made gains but needed more Saudi air support now we hear the Houthis and Saleh's people are advancing in many places' said Aden resident Saleh Salem Ba Aqeel. But residents of the capital Sanaa slept through a quiet night a respite from almost nightly raids since the campaign began on March 26. Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen shows that the Sunni monarchy will stand up to Iran and that Arab states can protect their interests without US leadership the kingdom's ambassador to Britain Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf told Reuters in an interview. Saudi Arabia's announcement that it would end its campaign cast doubt over its next moves against its Houthi enemies whose seizure of swathes of Yemen in recent months stirred Saudi fears that Iran is acquiring decisive influence in a country Riyadh sees as its backyard.
A Gulf official told Reuters that the new phase would see a downscaling of military activity by the Saudi-led coalition with no further bombing of fixed military targets. On the political front the official said there was movement towards a dialogue and that both Saleh's followers and the Houthis should have a voice in the discussions. Saleh welcomed the Saudi announcement and called for talks while the Houthis have yet to react beyond calling for mass protests against the Saudi 'aggression' for Thursday.
A Yemeni official told Reuters that the warring parties were discussing a sevenpoint peace plan offered by neighbouring Oman which has stayed neutral in the conflict involving the reinstatement of Hadi's government and a Houthi withdrawal from leading cities previously non-starters for the group. The White House on Wednesday said Yemen remained unstable and much more work needed to be done in the region on a diplomatic solution despite the declared halt to the Saudi-led bombing. Saudi Arabia said a new phase called 'Operation Restoring Hope' would now begin in which political diplomatic and military action would be combined but the main focus would be on the political process and aid efforts.
Supplies
The conflict has created severe shortages of food and other supplies by closing sea and airports. The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that 944 people were reported killed and 3487 wounded in Yemen in the month up to Friday. The United States said on Monday an aircraft carrier and guided-missile cruiser had gone to waters off Yemen to join seven other US warships already in the area. The Pentagon said the ships were there to ensure freedom of navigation through the area which is vital to oil shipping and controls approaches to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. It said the ships were also watching a flotilla of Iranian cargo vessels that had approached Yemen. The UN Security Council has imposed an arms embargo on the Houthis and the Saudi navy has imposed a naval and air blockade around the country that it says it will maintain in the coming phase. President Barack Obama warned Iran on Tuesday not to send weapons to Yemen that could be used to threaten shipping traffic in the region.
Iran called for all sides in Yemen's conflict to start negotiations saying longterm peace was possible. 'History has demonstrated that military intervention is not a proper response to these crises and will instead exacerbate the situation' Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said at an Asian-African conference in Jakarta. The United States and Saudi Arabia have accused Shi'ite Iran of arming the Houthis a claim Iran denies. 'Fear of Iran is part of a Saudi- American plan to bury Yemen's revolution which rejected their hegemony' top Houthi leader Saleh al-Sammad told Reuters. 'There are no Iranian weapons here.' The humanitarian situation in Yemen is 'catastrophic' with deep divisions fuelling the conflict there despite a declared halt to Saudi-led air strikes the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia's announcement on Tuesday that it was stopping its monthlong bombing campaign offered a 'glimmer of hope' but had yet to be confirmed said Robert Mardini ICRC regional director for North Africa and the Middle East. 'The collateral damage done to the civilian life and property by the air strikes as well as the ground fighting is absolutely shocking particularly in the cities of Sanaa Aden Taiz and Marib' Mardini said after a three-day trip to Yemen. 'Political problems that are the foundation of many conflicts that co-exist in Yemen today have not been solved. There is no analysis today to see any sustainable respite in fighting in coming days we need to prepare ourselves to continue to respond to emergencies' Mardini told reporters. The ICRC appealed to all sides to allow distribution of supplies and respect the laws of war protecting civilians. Mardini said the humanitarian situation was deteriorating each day in the capital Sanaa adding: 'It is going from bad to worse almost everywhere in the country'. Food water fuel and medicines were in short supply and food prices have soared. 'Sanaa has not had any electricity for nine entire days now ... No electricity means no water' he said adding that the fighting had displaced tens of thousands of people.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.