Daijiworld Media Network - Aden

Aden, Aug 21: Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council chief, Rashad al-Alimi, met with UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg in Riyadh to discuss the revival of the country’s long-stalled peace process. The meeting, held on Wednesday, centred on strengthening international diplomatic efforts to resume negotiations and address worsening humanitarian conditions in the conflict-ravaged nation.

According to Yemen’s state-run news agency, Al-Alimi highlighted the importance of Grundberg’s recent briefing to the UN Security Council, especially on measures aimed at de-escalation, economic recovery, and the urgent release of UN and aid workers still detained by the Houthi group. He reiterated the Yemeni government’s commitment to the UN-led peace efforts.

Grundberg’s office confirmed that the discussion also focused on improving living conditions for Yemenis and making tangible progress toward a political settlement. The UN envoy praised the Yemeni government's recent economic steps, including efforts by the Central Bank in Aden to stabilise the currency.

Grundberg also held talks with Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al Jaber and envoys from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. In these meetings, he expressed continued concern over the detention of UN staff and humanitarian personnel by the Houthis, calling such actions detrimental to confidence-building and peace efforts. He reaffirmed the UN's commitment to securing their release through persistent diplomatic engagement.

Yemen’s civil war, now in its second decade, began in 2014 when Houthi rebels seized the capital, Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition intervened the following year, leading to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.