Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi
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The dire situation in Yemen demands urgent intervention from the GCC states, especially Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. The Yemeni crisis, which started with the coup orchestrated by the Houthis, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and his supporters, was a violation of the national dialogue and the GCC initiatives. The fighting triggered a humanitarian crisis in the country, with millions suffering from lack of basic facilities and hundreds of thousands displaced. Even transportation of aid has become a nightmare.
There was hope that all parties will resume the national dialogue and come to a political solution. There were reports of Omani and Algerian initiatives to solve the crisis, but they proved to be false and just rumours spread by some sections of the media aligned with Iran.
A statement issued after a recent meeting of GCC foreign ministers emphasised that any talks for settling the crisis must be held in Riyadh and under the supervision of the GCC states and this will make things difficult for the Houthis who are resisting reconciliation efforts and are buying time.
It’s worth mentioning that the operation to “restore hope in Yemen”, with its all humanitarian dimensions, has given huge responsibilities to aid organisations in the Gulf, and the Muslim world in general.
After more than a month of intensive bombardment, Yemen has became a huge prison, where airports are not functioning, border checkpoints are partially closed and there is no electricity and water and the Yemeni riyal has lost most of its value. Even if the currency has some value, it cannot buy even essential items because no goods are being imported into the country. Therefore, any efforts for a solution are highly welcome.
The Peninsula
