UN Yemen envoy meets Houthi chief ahead of Hodeida visit

A United Nations envoy met Yemen's Houthi rebel chief on Thursday to nail down details of peace talks expected in December, a day before a planned visit to the battleground port city of Hodeida.

Martin Griffiths, who arrived in the rebel-held capital Sanaa on Wednesday, is pushing for negotiations early next month in Sweden to help halt years of conflict that have left Yemen facing famine. 

The diplomat's visit to Hodeida on Friday is aimed at encouraging Iran-aligned Houthi rebels and government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition to tamp down hostilities ahead of the talks in Stockholm, a UN source said.

The conflict in Yemen, which escalated when the Saudi-led alliance intervened in 2015, has killed thousands and sparked what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

UN agencies say up to 14 million Yemenis would be at risk of starvation if fighting closes the port of Hodeida, through which nearly all of the country's imports and humanitarian aid pass.

Both sides have in the past week expressed support for the envoy's mission to hold discussions, but military officials have said that intermittent clashes continued to erupt in the Red Sea city of Hodeida.

The diplomat's visit to Hodeida on Friday is aimed at encouraging Iran-aligned Houthi rebels and government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition to tamp down hostilities ahead of the talks in Stockholm

Griffiths and Yemeni rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Houthi during their meeting addressed "what can facilitate new discussions in December", rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdelsalam said on Twitter.

Abdelsalam said that included "procedures needed to transport injured and sick for treatment abroad and bring them back", a key sticking point during a previous failed attempt at talks in September. 

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of the rebels' Higher Revolutionary Committee and an influential political figure, said the rebels were ready for peace.

"We support peace. We are ready for peace if that is what they (the Saudi-led coalition) want," he told reporters after also meeting Griffiths on Thursday.

"I do not think anyone can doubt our desire for peace," he said.

'Fully on board'

United States Defence Secretary Jim Mattis confirmed on Wednesday peace discussions between the Houthis and the internationally-recognised government look set for "very, very early" in December.

He said Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates - which is also a key member of the military coalition supporting the loyalists - were "fully on board".

Kuwait's Deputy Foreign Minister Khalid al-Jarallah said that the talks may happen on 3 December. 

He added his country - which is currently a non-permanent UN Security Council member - will offer "logistical support" at Sweden's request, but did not give any more details. 

Mattis last month made a surprise call for a ceasefire in Yemen and urged warring parties to enter negotiations within the next 30 days.

The UN has now pushed that deadline back to the end of the year.

Mattis' latest comments came as the US State Department said talks must not be delayed any longer.

The United States has been providing bombs and other weapons, as well as intelligence support, to the Saudi-led coalition backing Hadi, but recently ended its refuelling support for Saudi warplanes.

The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia's Istanbul consulate has increased scrutiny of Western support for the coalition, and ramped up pressure on Riyadh. 

On Monday, Britain presented to the UN Security Council a draft resolution urging an immediate truce in Hodeida.

The draft, circulated to the 14 other council members, and seen by AFP, sets a two-week deadline for the warring sides to remove all barriers to humanitarian aid.

It also calls for a large injection of foreign cash to support Yemen's collapsing currency and for salaries of civil servants, teachers, and health workers to be paid within a month.

UN peace efforts

The current peace push by Griffiths is the biggest effort in two years to end the war.

In September, a previous round of UN-led peace talks faltered when the Houthis refused to travel to Geneva, accusing the world body of failing to guarantee their delegation's return to Sanaa or secure the evacuation of wounded rebels to Oman.

Previous talks broke down in 2016, when 108 days of negotiations in Kuwait failed to yield a deal and left rebel delegates stranded in Oman for three months.

A UN panel of experts has accused both the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition of acts that could amount to war crimes.

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict, though some rights groups estimate the toll could be five times higher.

The World Food Programme says up to 14 million Yemenis are at risk of starvation, and 18-19 million are "food insecure".