Yemen president meets UN envoy in Riyadh

The United Nations envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, met with Yemen's President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Tuesday.

It was the latest move in an intensive round of UN diplomacy aimed at firming up a ceasefire in the port of Hodeida, a key entry point for humanitarian aid.

The Red Sea port is the entry point for the majority of imports to Yemen, where more than 22 million people now depend on humanitarian aid to survive.

The meeting with Hadi - head of Yemen's internationally recognised government - came a day after Griffiths met rebel Houthi leaders in Sanaa.

Last month, the warring sides agreed to a ceasefire in Hodeida, together with a prisoner exchange and other measures that could help foster a political settlement.

Differences over details

The truce deal states that the port should be handed over to "the local authorities in accordance with Yemen law," said an official who requested anonymity.

Houthi rebels insist that this refers to the officials currently running the port, who are their allies. 

The government says the port should be handed over to officials who ran the facility before the Houthis captured Hodeida in late 2014, the official said.

There are also differences over the redeployment of forces, he said. 

Griffiths' visit comes as the ceasefire in Hodeida is generally holding, although there have been intermittent clashes, with each side blaming the other.

Yemen's government has written to the UN Security Council, accusing rebels of failing to comply with the ceasefire.

The rebels have accused the Saudi-led coalition of carrying out low-altitude flights over the city.

The United Nations is hoping to bring the warring sides together later this month, possibly in Kuwait, to follow up on progress made at December's talks in Stockholm, diplomats have said.

The UN Security Council is expected to hear a report from Griffiths next week, although no date has been set.

The war between the Houthis and troops loyal to the internationally-recognised government escalated in March 2015, when President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi fled into Saudi exile and the Saudi-led coalition intervened.

The conflict has unleashed the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the UN, which says 14 million Yemenis are on the brink of famine.

The Sweden talks marked the first meeting in two years between the northern Houthi rebels and the Hadi government.

The last round of talks, hosted by Kuwait in 2016, collapsed after more than three months of negotiations with no breakthrough.

More than 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015, although rights group maintain the actual death toll is five times higher.  

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