UN Envoy Grundberg visits Aden, amid soaring power outages

UN Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, visited the capital city Aden today, amid the escalation of attacks on ships by the Iran-backed Houthis, and with concerns being raised about the fate of UN mediation efforts.

During a meeting with Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed bin Mubarak, Grundberg acquainted him about the outcome of his recent tours and meetings regarding the crisis in Yemen and the efforts to resume the political process, according to the official Saba Agency.

Saba said that Grundberg expressed " concern over the continued Houthi military escalation that pushes toward other paths that do not help achieve the peace sought by the Yemeni people."

According to the agency, the UN Envoy said that he would continue to work “to put the Houthis back on the peace process path and abandon the option of war.” “Grundberg expressed his appreciation for the support shown by the Yemeni government for his efforts, and the flexibility and concessions it offers,” Saba added.

For his part, Bin Mubarak accused the Houthis of waging an economic war against the Yemenis, which began with their strikes on oil export facilities in October 2022, and led to the Houthis’ measures in the banking sector and their practice of levies.

"The Prime Minister stressed that the deterioration in living conditions and services that citizens are experiencing and the worsening of the catastrophic humanitarian situation are direct results of this Houthi war, which requires a deterrent and firm international stance towards this," Saba added.

Grundberg's visit coincided with the deterioration of the public utility services situation in the capital, Aden, and other cities in South Yemen.

Today, power outages exceeded 12 hours amid a severe heat wave, compared to less than two hours earlier. The Aden Electricity Corporation warned of a complete shutdown of power stations by Monday as a result of depletion in fuel.

In addition, an education strike was observed in a number of basic and secondary schools in Aden and Hadramout as a result of the low salaries paid to teachers.

Meanwhile, the US Central Command announced in a statement on X that it shot down three drones on Saturday launched over the Red Sea from Houthi-controlled areas. A drone was also shot down on Friday over the Gulf of Aden.

In the Red Sea as well, the Houthis said that a delegation from the International Red Cross, accompanied by international media personnel, visited today the crew of the Galaxy Leader, which was hijacked by the Houthis on November 19 in the Red Sea and taken to the port of Hodeidah.