16 killed in ‘most violent’ Syria unrest since Assad ouster: monitor

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said that direct US discussions with Hamas militants were in recent days and the message to the Palestinian militant group was that the United States wants to get hostages home.
Witkoff also said the US does not believe Hamas has been forthright. He spoke a day after reports surfaced that the top US hostage negotiator, Adam Boehler, had met in Doha with Hamas representatives to try to obtain the release of hostages held in Gaza.
Witkoff told reporters at the White House that gaining the release of Edan Alexander, the 21-year-old man from New Jersey believed to be the last living American hostage held by Hamas in Gaza, is a “top priority for us.”
Witkoff said he will travel to the Middle East next week with stops planned in four countries.

NEW YORK: UN officials on Thursday warned of growing challenges in Yemen amid severe cuts in aid funding and a rising risk of renewed conflict, warning that Yemeni women and girls are bearing the brunt of the escalation.

Tom Fletcher, the UN’s under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, painted a grim picture of the humanitarian situation in Yemen, emphasizing the devastating impact, particularly on women and girls.

He said that both the gravity of the crisis and growing constraints on humanitarian work have worsened, adding that “now severe funding cuts have been a body blow to our work to save lives.

“It is, of course, for individual countries to decide how to spend their money. But it is the pace at which so much vital work has been shut down that adds to the perfect storm that we face.”

Fletcher told a meeting of the Security Council to discuss developments in Yemen that over 9.6 million women and girls are in desperate need of life-saving assistance, facing extreme hunger, violence, and a collapsing healthcare system.

The humanitarian crisis is compounded by Yemen’s maternal mortality rate, the highest in the Middle East. With 1.3 million pregnant women and new mothers suffering from malnutrition, the future of many young children is at serious risk, Fletcher said.

Additionally, 1.5 million girls are out of school, perpetuating the cycle of poverty and violence. The worsening lack of funds has already led to the closure of 22 safe spaces, depriving over 11,000 women and girls of critical services and support.

“As your funding for Yemen evaporates, the numbers in my next briefings will be worse,” warned Fletcher.

“What does that mean for the women and girls behind those numbers? More will die. More will be left with no choice but to adopt dangerous coping mechanisms: survival sex, begging, coerced prostitution, human trafficking, and selling their children.”

He emphasized the vital role of women in Yemen’s recovery and humanitarian response, citing examples of women-led organizations that are crucial to delivering services despite the funding shortfall.

The humanitarian chief asked council members to “back our effort to get access to civilians at greatest risk; the money to save as many lives as we can; and public and private pressure to release humanitarians who have been arbitrarily detained while working to deliver your instructions.”

He warned: “This is a tough time to be a humanitarian. But it is much tougher for the people we serve. And, right now, it is getting even tougher for the women and girls of Yemen.

“The decisions you take will determine whether it gets worse.”

Meanwhile, Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy for Yemen, has warned against the rising rhetoric from the conflict’s warring parties, which could further destabilize the region.

While large-scale ground operations have not resumed since the UN-mediated truce of April 2022, military activity persists, with reports of shelling, drone attacks, infiltration attempts, and mobilization campaigns, more recently witnessed in Marib, as well as in other areas such as Al-Jawf, Shabwa, and Ta’iz.

Grundberg called for restraint, urging both sides to avoid military posturing and to focus on creating a conducive environment for peace.

He also noted that the country’s economic collapse, exacerbated by a 50 percent depreciation of the Yemeni riyal and the suspension of civil servant salaries, is driving widespread poverty.

“Words matter. Intent matters. Signals matter. Mixed messaging and escalatory discourse can have real consequences, deepening mistrust and fueling tensions at a time when de-escalation is crucial,” Grundberg said, warning that the deepening crisis and failure to secure a lasting peace deal could plunge Yemen back into full-scale conflict.

Grundberg again emphasized the necessity of a Yemeni-led peace process, focusing on a nationwide ceasefire and political compromises.

“The path to peace requires difficult concessions, particularly on the country’s economic situation, and an inclusive political process,” he said.

As the month of Ramadan begins, Grundberg also called for the immediate and unconditional release of detainees, including humanitarian workers, many of whom remain arbitrarily detained by the Houthi rebel group. He expressed deep frustration with the continued detentions, stressing the importance of protecting the space for peace negotiations and humanitarian work.

The Security Council meeting comes ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, with both officials recognizing the disproportionate impact the conflict continues to have on women and girls in Yemen.

With Yemen’s future uncertain, both officials called on the international community to urgently address the humanitarian disaster, stressing that without immediate action, the situation will continue to worsen for Yemen’s most vulnerable populations.