US swinging policy in Yemen

The US Department of State said in statement that “the United States, like the rest of the international community, recognizes the Republic of Yemen government, which is the only legitimate, internationally recognized government in Yemen".

The assurance from Washington of its support for the Yemeni government came a day after US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking sparked a furor when he said that his country “recognizes” the Houthis as a legitimate force in Yemen.

The US State Department said the envoy’s words were taken out of context. As well as reiterating the support of the US government for the Yemeni government, it slammed the Houthis for escalating their military operations.

The Yemeni government, politicians and journalists expressed dismay over his remarks. The Yemeni foreign minister and the speaker of the parliament had contacted officials at the US embassy in Yemen asking for clarification.

Meanwhile Yemenis expressed outrage on social media and in the local media about what they perceived as a shift in US policy on the Houthis.

Muammar Al-Eryani, Yemen’s information minister, said on Friday that the Houthis interpret the international community’s “soft” handling of the war in Yemen and human rights abuses by the rebels as a green light to push ahead with their military operations.

In a message posted on Twitter, he said the Houthi militia considers the international response as “encouragement for its aggression and military escalation, killings of Yemenis and violations of human rights.”

He denounced the militia’s terrorist activities, which he said threaten regional and international security, disrupt peace efforts and exacerbate the human suffering in the country.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said Riyadh was determined to “stop the war and move to the political track” but that this “has sadly not met with agreement from the Houthi side.”

Six years of war have killed tens of thousands of Yemenis, mostly civilians and left millions on the brink of famine. Around 80% of Yemen’s population, or 24 million people, rely on humanitarian relief to survive.

The outgoing UN envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths last week told the Security Council his own efforts over the past three years to end the war had been “in vain.”