Need for End to Yemen Human Catastrophe Stressed

TEHRAN –The Iranian foreign minister and UN envoy for Yemen have stressed the importance of finding comprehensive political solutions to end the humanitarian crisis in the impoverished war-torn Arab country.

In a meeting in Tehran on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed discussed the latest developments in the country that is reeling from a deadly Saudi aggression, Press TV reported.

The UN envoy arrived in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Saturday to discuss the Yemeni conflict with Iranian officials.

Earlier in the day, Cheikh Ahmed held talks with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari.

 During the meeting, the Iranian diplomat said the Islamic Republic supports all efforts by the UN aimed at putting an end to the war in crisis-hit Yemen.

The Iranian diplomat expressed deep concern about the severe humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

The UN envoy, for his part, informed Jaberi Ansari about the latest developments concerning the humanitarian situation in Yemen as well as his recent talks to revive efforts aimed at finding a political solution to the Yemeni crisis and called on Iran to support such bids.

The two officials also exchanged views about new initiatives for a solution to the political stalemate in Yemen.

Yemen has been facing war by a Saudi-led coalition since March 2015. Leading a number of its vassal states, Saudi Arabia launched the military aggression on Yemen to eliminate the Houthi Ansarullah movement and reinstall a Riyadh-friendly former president. The war, however, has failed to achieve either of the goals, morphing into a protracted conflict and causing a humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

UN-brokered talks between Yemen’s warring sides have also failed to end the conflict so far.

Iran has repeatedly called for a swift end to the brutal Saudi-led military campaign.

H.M