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Yemen Insurgents Cornered by Security Council over Unilateral Actions | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Taiz, New York-The United Nations Security Council has stressed to all parties involved in the Yemen conflict that any new political arrangements should be the result of an agreement following negotiations under U.N. auspices, and not the result of unilateral actions by any side.

The Council called on Friday for the immediate resumption of “talks with the U.N. envoy for that country and discuss his proposal for a comprehensive agreement covering both security and political issues.”

In a press statement, the members of the Council “expressed their continued support for and commitment to the work of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, in bringing the parties to negotiations with a view towards swiftly reaching a final and comprehensive agreement to end the conflict in Yemen.”

The 15-member Council reiterated its strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen.

To support consultations of the envoy, and avoid further loss of life, the Council “urged all parties to recommit to and fully respect the terms and conditions of the cessation of hostilities entered into on 10 April, which will include a complete halt to ground and air military activities.”

It stressed that “a political solution to the crisis is essential to address, in a durable and comprehensive manner, the threat of terrorism in Yemen.”

The members of the Council also noted the devastating humanitarian impact of the conflict, which has resulted in a large number of dead and wounded.

They warned that the humanitarian situation in Yemen will continue to deteriorate in the absence of a peace agreement.

The Council called upon all sides to comply with international humanitarian law and to take urgent measures to improve the humanitarian situation, and to allow safe, rapid, and unhindered access for humanitarian supplies to all affected governorates and facilitate access for essential imports of food, fuel, and medical supplies into the country and their distribution throughout.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch accused Houthi insurgents of killing and inuring many civilians in Yemen’s third-largest city of Taiz because of the use of landmines.

It said in a statement, a copy of which was obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, that the use of landmines by Houthis and their allies in Taiz has left at least 18 people dead and more than 39 wounded between May 2015 and April 2016.

All but one of the 18 deaths documented were caused by anti-vehicle mines, while nine of 11 permanent injuries were from antipersonnel mines. The group documented that landmines in Taiz killed five children, caused permanent disabilities to four, and otherwise wounded 13.