United Nations (TDI): Pakistan has called for reinvigorating the political process in Yemen to lay the foundation for a comprehensive and durable solution that would ensure a peaceful future for the country.
There is no military solution to the Yemen crisis, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad told the UN Security Council on Wednesday, noting that deep political divisions, economic collapse and environmental degradation are exacting a heavy toll on civilians.
He emphasized that the global community and the UNSC must stay actively involved and take sincere steps to prevent Yemen’s situation from worsening further, while working toward a peaceful and hopeful future for the country.
The conflict in Yemen escalated in 2014 when Houthi rebels captured the capital, Sanaa, triggering a prolonged period of political and military strife. Since then, Houthi forces and the Yemeni Government, supported by a Saudi-led coalition, have been locked in a power struggle for more than a decade.
As a result, over 17 million people – half the country’s population – remain dependent on humanitarian aid and protection.
Read More: Pakistan Urges Diplomacy to Address Yemen Crisis
In his statement, Pakistan’s envoy reiterated that Islamabad always supported a UN-facilitated, Yemeni-owned and Yemeni-led peace process as the only solution to the crisis, welcomes the diplomatic initiatives by Saudi Arabia and Oman, and urges all parties to move forward on December 2023 Roadmap that provides a reliable framework for enduring peace.
He stated that all parties must honor their promises, exercise maximum restraint, and prioritize talks over hostilities.
Read More: Pakistan welcomes efforts for Peace in Yemen
The envoy further said that Pakistan demands all donors to act immediately and generously to the urgent appeal by OCHA as Yemen’ humanitarian crisis gets worsening.
As the Houthis have not recently carried out attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, Asim stated that Islamabad views the ceasefire between the Houthis and the US as a positive development.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
