Civil war in Yemen: US stops support for military offensive

A destroyed house in Sana'a in Yemen - the country is devastated by civil war

Photo: Yahya Arhab / dpa

The US will end its support for a military offensive in Yemen.

The national security adviser Jake Sullivan announced.

Accordingly, the new US President Joe Biden sees "a more active and committed role" for the USA in ending the war diplomatically.

The move was one of Biden's campaign promises.

So far, the USA had supported a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia in the civil war country, which had repeatedly killed many civilians when the country was bombed.

The alliance is fighting alongside the internationally recognized Yemeni government against the Houthis, who are supported by Iran.

However, the move would not affect US operations against al-Qaeda groups based in Yemen, Sullivan said.

The United Nations had recently warned again and again that Yemen was on the verge of a famine that could kill hundreds of thousands of people.

The humanitarian emergency was made more difficult by the decision of the administration of ex-President Donald Trump to put the Houthis on their terrorist list.

Biden's government wants to review this step as soon as possible.

In addition, President Joe Biden will appoint a new special envoy on Thursday (local time) to take on a "more active and committed role" in resolving the conflict in Yemen, Sullivan said in the White House.

Biden will appoint the special envoy on a visit to the State Department.

Icon: The mirror

hba / dpa / AP