UN envoy: Preparations are underway to open Sana’a Airport

UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg on Wednesday confirmed that preparations are underway to open Sana’a International Airport and for the first commercial flight.

All parties are welcoming the open of Sana’a International Airport, the UN envoy said in a press conference upon his departure from Sana’a, adding “we did not face any obstacles in this regard.”

Grundberg described his visit to the capital Sana’a and his discussions with officials as constructive and positive.

“We have seen the importance of the much-needed entry of fuel ships to the port of Hodeida and arrangements are being made for a meeting to reach an agreement to open roads between Taiz province and other provinces.”

He expressed his hope that the entry of oil ships would contribute to solving the fuel crisis in the country, stressing the need for more fuel ships to continue entering Hodeida port steadily during the truce period.

The UN envoy said that the truce, in general, has been holding up so far, stressing the importance of all parties’ commitment to the truce.

“Since the truce entered into force on the second of April, and despite frequent and alarming reports of violations, we have seen a significant general decrease in hostilities, and there are no confirmed reports of airstrikes or cross-border attacks.”

He urged all parties to seriously commit to the truce so that they can enter into talks with each other in good faith.

He stressed that the truce came to help the Yemenis in the first place, and provide an opportunity to end the conflict and violence and to implement sustainable measures to improve the humanitarian and economic situation.

The UN envoy to Yemen affirmed the continuation of work around the clock to support the parties in order to fulfill their duties to abide by, maintain and strengthen the truce.

He also stressed that the armistice is an opportunity to end the conflict and reach a comprehensive solution that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Yemenis, and the responsibility is shared to achieve what the Yemeni people aspire to.

He said: “The region and the world are closely watching the situation and are ready to provide support.”

The UN envoy stated that during the three-day visit, the mechanisms for implementing the truce with all its components and ways to build on it were discussed as a step towards a comprehensive political solution to the conflict.