Dec 3, 2018

UN Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths arrived in Sanaa today, a major step toward reopening talks to end the war before the end of the year.

Why it matters: Griffiths’ arrival in Yemen’s rebel-held capital is a sign that negotiators have made some progress on the “confidence-building measures” for a peace deal that the UN called for at the General Assembly meeting in September. They include getting Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to pay the salaries of civil servants in Houthi-controlled areas, giving the UN control of the vital port of Hodeidah and exchanging prisoners between the warring groups.

Confidence building: The British diplomat expects to hold talks with the Houthis today, a UN source told the AFP wire service. Meanwhile, 50 wounded rebels will be evacuated from Sanaa, according to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, one of the major precursors to talks.

Griffiths is also pushing to reopen Sanaa’s airport, a potential step toward preventing a mounting famine that has accelerated amid an uptick in violence in Hodeidah. In August, a UN-backed panel of experts described the “severe naval and air restrictions” imposed by the Saudi-led coalition, including the “effective closure” of the airport, as amounting to potential war crimes.

Pyrrhic victory? Griffiths might not eke out a deal to end the war, but his mere presence in Sanaa is a big deal. Houthi rebels forced the last two UN envoys out of the country, even hitting the convoy of Griffiths’ predecessor, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, with a barrage of gunfire.