US envoy to Yemen begins visit to Saudi Arabia, Oman

SANAA, April 29 (YPA) – The US special envoy to Yemen, Tim Lenderking, begins on Thursday a new visit to the region, to discuss ways to end the war in Yemen.
The US State Department said, in a statement , on Wednesday, that Lenderking will travel to Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman for talks with government officials.
The US State Department confirmed that Lenderking will work jointly with the UN envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths.
According to the statement, the US official’s talks will focus on ensuring the regular and unimpeded arrival of goods and humanitarian aid throughout Yemen, and the parties ’transition to a political process.
Since taking office in January, US President Joe Biden has made Yemen a foreign policy priority, appointing Lenderking to help revive stalled UN talks to end a conflict that is widely considered a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran in Yemen.
Yemen has been witnessing a war for nearly 7 years, which has claimed the lives of more than 233,000 people, and 80% of the population of about 30 million people are dependent on support and aid, in the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the United Nations.