UN Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheik Ahmed [UN bio] announced [press release] Saturday that peace negotiations between Yemeni parties in Kuwait were off to an “encouraging start that will set the ground for a negotiated solution.” Both the Government of Yemen and the delegation of Ansarullah and the General People’s Congress have presented plans for restoration of peace, including proposals for security and political stability throughout the next phase of negotiations. He stressed that all parties have expressed a commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 2216 (2015) [UN report] which imposes sanctions on “individuals it said were undermining the stability of Yemen.” The UN envoy also said “[t]he session went on in a positive and constructive atmosphere.” He commended both parties for their determination to come to a resolution, but acknowledged that there is much work still to be done. The envoy also recognized violations resulting in civilian casualties and offered condolences to the families.

The rapidly deteriorating situation in Yemen has sparked significant international concern. In March UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein criticized [JURIST report] the Saudi Arabian coalition forces in Yemen for the more than 3,000 civilian casualties resulting from the conflict in just the past year. Also in March, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned [JURIST report] that the use of cluster bombs by the Saudi-led coalition against neighborhoods in Yemen may amount to a war crime. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said [JURIST report] that the civilian death toll in Yemen had reached nearly 2,800. In January the UN World Food Programme appealed to all the parties involved in the Yemen conflict to allow the safe passage of food [JURIST report] to the city of Taiz. In October Amnesty International called for [JURIST report] an independent investigation into possible war crimes surrounding the destruction of a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders in Yemen.