UN wants Houthis to cede Hodeidah

aden — The UN Yemen mediator is in talks with the Houthis to hand over control of Hodeidah port to the United Nations in an attempt to avert a possible assault on the city by a Saudi-led coalition, Yemeni political sources said.

Martin Griffiths arrived in the Houthi-held capital Sanaa on Saturday as coalition-backed troops moved to within 10km of the Red Sea port, long a key target in the war, according to local military officials, who said the advance had paused in the last few days.

“He (Griffiths) comes with a proposal for the Houthis to place Hodeidah port under UN supervision,” said a senior Yemeni politician close to the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Hadi, who is in exile.

A source close to the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels confirmed that the proposal was being discussed.

A spokesperson for the Saudiled coalition did not immediately

He (Griffiths) comes with a proposal for the Houthis to place Hodeidah port under UN supervision

A senior Yemeni politician

respond to a request for comment.

Mark Lowcock, UN emergency relief coordinator, said on Monday that the United Nations was in touch with several UN member states about Hodeidah.

He said Griffiths was due to brief the Security Council on June 18. “And obviously the situation in Hodeidah is one of the things that he’s looking at,” he added.

The Yemeni sources said Griffiths met several Houthi officials, including their foreign minister, but had yet to meet Mahdi Al Mashat, who is president in the Houthibacked political body which runs most of north Yemen.