Brussels, 06/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 3 July, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides called for a real political dialogue in Yemen - with 4 July marking the first 100 days of the exile of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and the launch of the Saudi-led coalition air strikes.
“There is no other way out of the current crisis than through genuine dialogue and an inclusive political process under UN stewardship”, Mogherini and Stylianides said in a joint statement. “Only a broad political consensus based on the parameters set by UN Security Council Resolution 2216 can provide a sustainable solution to the crisis, tackle the threat of terrorist groups and prevent further regional instability”, they added. This resolution of 14 April 2015 calls, among other things, on all the Yemeni parties to resume the negotiations as a whole, under the aegis of the UN - especially on issues of governance, of making them move forwards more quickly, and of pursuing the political transition with a view to reaching a consensus solution (see EUROPE 11330).
EU again calls for humanitarian ceasefire. The EU also called for a lasting and predictable humanitarian ceasefire. On 2 July, the UN added Yemen to its list of highest level humanitarian emergencies. “The country is facing a humanitarian catastrophe, with 21 million people, 80% of Yemen's population, in need of humanitarian assistance”, Mogherini and Stylianides stated.
In their opinion, the humanitarian ceasefire should allow the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid and essential supplies, “including fuel, food and basic commodities”. “It is therefore essential that commercial shipping access to Yemen be further eased”, Mogherini and Stylianides said.
For the Europeans, all the parties have the responsibility of ensuring the respect of international humanitarian law and human rights, “following the principles of impartiality, neutrality and independence”. “This means protecting civilians and refraining from directly targeting civilian infrastructure”, Mogherini and Stylianides added, saying that safe and unimpeded access by humanitarian organisations working on the ground was needed.
The UN special envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, arrived in Sanaa on 5 July to try and obtain a humanitarian truce and relaunch the peace process. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)