The UN’s humanitarian chief says he is “deeply alarmed” by Houthi’s rebel progress on the Yemeni government’s last stronghold, saying an attack on the city of Marib could endanger millions of civilians.
Mark Lowcock, the UN’s under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said on Tuesday that an attack would endanger two million civilians and could prevent hundreds of thousands fleeing the city, which would have ” incredible humanitarian effects ”.
This month the Houthi rebels, linked to Iran, have retaliated to capture the oil – filled Marib, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of the rebel capital Sanaa.
The regional loss would be a major blow to the Yemeni government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, as well as the civilian population and hundreds of thousands of abstract people taking shelter in camps in the region.
“Now is the time to de-escalate, without adding even more to the plight of the Yemeni people,” Lowcock said in his tweet.
An attack on the city would put two million civilians at risk, with hundreds of thousands fleeing – with incredible humanitarian influence. Now is the time to devalue, not to add even more to the plight of the Yemeni people.
– Mark Lowcock (@UNReliefChief) February 15, 2021
Army officials from the Yemeni government told AFP news agency that the rebels had stormed the city on two sides overnight after heavy fighting with government forces.
Dozens from all sides have been killed in the past 24 hours alone, they said. The total casualty charge from the battle for Marib is unknown but reports suggest he is now in the hundreds.
Fog falls at times between forces loyal to the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Houthi rebel fighters in the al-Jadaan region about 50km (31 miles) northwest of Marib [AFP]
“The rebels have advanced north and west of the city after the capture of al-Zor. [in Sirwah district] up to the west of the Marib dam, and they made a tight grip on hills overlooking supply lines for a number of means, ”said one of the officers.
The Saudi-led coalition, which carried out military intervention in Yemen six years ago, has been under pressure from rebel positions.
Television Al Masirah, which is run by Houthi, on Tuesday reported a total of 13 airstrikes in Marib – 11 on locations in the Sirwah district, and two in the Madghal area.
Once a sanctuary
The fighting threatens sprawling camps for internally displaced people, many of whom have fled several times before ending up in Marib, the only part of the north. not under Houthi control.
By early 2020, Marib had been experiencing the worst of Yemen’s six-year conflict, due to its strategic importance with its rich oil and gas reserves, and its location near the border of regional power. Saudi Arabia.
It became a sanctuary for many in the early years of the war, including those hoping for a fresh start.
But that relative stability was overshadowed by last year ‘s fight and – after a draw from October – there is a renewed danger that residents will be in the line of fire as both sides fight for control.
“If fighting moves towards populated areas or these moving sites, we will see people fleeing again and to places east and south of the city of Marib with even fewer resources,” International Organization for Migration spokeswoman Olivia Headon told AFP.
“A lot of this is desert so just think of what any move in that direction would mean for families to have access to water.”
Headon said about 650 families were forced to flee in the recent fighting attack and another move in the front lines would lead to more waves of movement.
Yemen’s erosive conflict has killed tens of thousands and exterminated millions, according to international organizations, boosting what the UN calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
The rise in violence comes shortly after Washington’s decision to remove the rebels from its list of “terrorist” groups – a move that takes effect Tuesday – to ensure uncontrolled aid and to pave the way for the resumption of peace talks.
The Biden administration also ended U.S. support for Saudi offensive work in a major policy move from the previous Trump administration. The U.S. president has since hired an ambassador for Yemen in his efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict that has ravaged the poorest country in the Middle East.
Washington on Tuesday urged the rebels to stop their offending, saying their progress on Marib threatened to undermine the Biden administration’s new effort to step up diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
“The Houthis attack on Marib is the action of an organization that is not committed to peace or to ending the war that is affecting the people of Yemen,” State Defense Department Ned Price said in a statement.
“Marib is controlled by the legitimate government of Yemen,” he said. “This attack will only increase the number of internally displaced persons and increase the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.”
Observers say the Houthis want to capture Marib as a lever before entering any talks.
The rebels have also launched attacks against Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.
Saudi state media reported Tuesday that another “booby trapped drone” was planted and destroyed by the Houthis near Abha airport, which was hit earlier this month by an attack that left a plane in flames.