Guterres Plans to Appoint Swedish Diplomat as Yemen Envoy

Diplomats have stated that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres intends to appoint Swedish diplomat Hans Grundberg as his new envoy to Yemen after China informally gave the green light for the selection following several weeks of delay. The 15-member Security Council must approve Grundberg unanimously to replace Martin Griffiths, who became the UN's humanitarian chief last month after attempting to mediate an end to the conflict in Yemen over the past three years. The war has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and led to a severe humanitarian crisis, pushing Yemen to the brink of famine. Grundberg has been the European Union's ambassador to Yemen since September 2019. Diplomats indicated that UN officials informally presented his name to council members for feedback by mid-July, and 14 members indicated they would agree to the appointment. However, China stated it needed more time. A Chinese mission official at the UN in New York said on Monday that China has now approved Grundberg's appointment but refrained from commenting on the reason for Beijing's delayed approval. Guterres will now formally notify the council of Grundberg's appointment, and the council will respond in writing to give the green light. A spokesperson for Guterres declined to comment.