Yemen30 September, 20262 min read
UN Yemen Envoy Hans Grundberg Concludes Cairo Talks on Escalation With Egypt
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Hans Grundberg concluded a three-day Cairo visit addressing Yemen escalation and regional repercussions. He met Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmi.
Cairo talks end
UN Yemen envoy Hans Grundberg concluded a three-day visit to Cairo on Wednesday, holding talks on military escalation in Yemen and its regional repercussions. Grundberg’s office said he met Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy during the visit, with the discussions addressing “the recent escalation in Yemen and its regional repercussions, including in the Red Sea, as well as UN efforts to end the conflict sustainably.” Grundberg arrived in Cairo on Monday as part of UN diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the military situation in Yemen, as clashes between government forces and the Houthis continued since July on fronts including Taiz, Lahj, Marib, Al-Jawf and Al-Bayda provinces.
The Anadolu account said the escalation marked the widest since a relative lull began under an April 2022 truce, and it said the recent escalation displaced around 180,000 people while thousands fled to Djibouti. In September, the Anadolu account said the Houthis took control of key areas in Al-Hudaydah and Taiz provinces, including the strategic city of Mokha, and reached Mayyun Island overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Muscat talks and toll
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg met Houthi negotiators in Muscat, where he said he met Houthi chief negotiator Mohammed Abdul-Salam to explore ways of containing the escalation. Grundberg described the latest escalation to the Associated Press in Cairo as “unprecedented” and “dramatic,” warning that Yemen’s conflict was becoming increasingly affected by wider regional tensions. The Diplomatic Insight said Grundberg held consultations in Riyadh with Yemen’s internationally recognized government and regional actors including Saudi Arabia, which has faced a renewed series of Houthi missile and drone attacks.
The Diplomatic Insight cited UN figures for a humanitarian toll, saying the latest Houthi offensive and fighting with Saudi-backed Yemeni and allied forces had killed at least 838 people and injured more than 3,640. The Diplomatic Insight said over 145,000 people had been internally displaced and more than 3,000 others had crossed into Djibouti.
Regional security stakes
Marco Rubio held talks with Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Washington, DC, on cooperation in regional security including shipping safety in the Strait of Hormuz and escalating hostilities in Yemen. Rubio said in a post on X that he and Prince Faisal discussed “our bilateral cooperation in regional security and stability, including in Iran, Gaza, Sudan, and Yemen.” The Associated Press account said Grundberg warned that “the most sensitive front lines” were now close to corridors crucial for international trade, as battle lines shifted toward Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
The Associated Press account said the Houthis stormed down the Red Sea coast earlier in September, capturing the strategic city of Mokha and a number of Red Sea islands, extending their reach to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Associated Press account said the flare-up forced over 145,000 people to flee their homes inside Yemen and more than 3,000 others fled across the waters into Djibouti.