In the first official Emirati comment on President Joe Biden's decision to halt support for the war in Yemen, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Gargash stated that the UAE ended its military intervention in Yemen in October of last year, aiming to bring the conflict to an end.
Dr. Gargash published his remarks on his official Twitter account, clarifying that the UAE concluded its military involvement in Yemen in October 2022 to facilitate an end to the war. He added that the UAE supported the efforts of the United Nations and various peace initiatives, noting that the United Arab Emirates has remained one of the largest providers of humanitarian aid to the Yemeni people.
Today, President Biden announced the cessation of U.S. support for offensive operations in Yemen. The country has been experiencing an armed conflict since 2014 between government forces led by President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and the "Ansar Allah" group, prompting an international coalition led by Saudi Arabia to launch a military operation in support of the internationally recognized Hadi government in 2015. However, the Houthis still control the majority of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sana'a.
The United Nations considers the situation in Yemen to be the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, with more than 80% of the population, or 24.1 million people, in need of humanitarian assistance. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken affirmed that Saudi Arabia has contributed to the ongoing worst humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
