RIYADH: The Saudi-led coalition is working with UN envoy Martin Griffith to reach a political solution to the conflict in Yemen based on UN Security Council resolution 2216, the Gulf Initiative and the outcomes of Yemeni national dialogue, the Saudi foreign minister said on Thursday.
“Since day one, we said that the solution… is a political solution, and the solution should lead to the restoration of legitimacy in Yemen,” said Adel Al-Jubeir.
“We support a peaceful solution in Yemen. We support the efforts of the UN envoy for the Yemeni cause,” he added.
“We are committed to providing all humanitarian support to our brothers there. We are also working on the post-war reconstruction of Yemen.” The Kingdom supports the envoy’s efforts to hold negotiations at the end of November, added Al-Jubeir.
Saudi Arabia is the largest provider of humanitarian aid to Yemen, providing more than $13 billion since the start of the conflict, he said.
In contrast, Houthi militias are imposing restrictions on Yemeni cities and villages, leading to starvation, he added.
They are also seizing humanitarian aid and preventing Yemenis from getting cholera vaccinations, Al-Jubeir said.
The Houthis fire ballistic missiles indiscriminately at Saudi Arabia, use children as fighters and plant mines across Yemen, he added.
The Houthis should engage in the political process and respond to the will of the international community to end the war and end the coup against the legitimate government, he said.
Saudi Arabia did not want the conflict in Yemen; it was imposed on the Kingdom, Al-Jubeir added.
Saudi Arabia worked with other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states to develop the Gulf Initiative.
This led to a transition from former President Ali Abdullah Saleh to the internationally recognized government headed by current President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
The Kingdom also worked to develop Yemeni national dialogue that led to a Yemeni vision regarding the country’s future.
A new Yemeni constitution was about to be drafted when the Houthis seized much of the country, including the capital.
Yemen’s legitimate government requested support, and the Saudi-led coalition responded under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
