Pompeo, Yemeni FM Discuss Need to Advance Political Settlement - State Dept

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo emphasized during a meeting with Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled Al Yamani the need for Yemen's government and the rebel Houthi movement to advance the political process in their country, State Department Deputy Spokesman Robert Palladino said in a press release on Thursday.

"The Secretary emphasized the need for the Republic of Yemen Government and the Houthis to swiftly implement agreements made in Sweden and continue working with UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths on advancing the political process", Palladino said.

Pompeo and Khaled, who met on the sidelines of the Ministerial to Promote a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East in Warsaw, also discussed efforts to help alleviate the humanitarian situation in Yemen, Palladino said.

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On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at withdrawing US military support for the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen. The campaign has been repeatedly criticized for violating human rights as its strikes often target peaceful inhabitants and civilian infrastructure. The measure will now head to the Senate for consideration.

Yemen has been engulfed in a violent conflict between the government headed by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Shiite Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, backed by army units loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, for several years. The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request since March 2015.

The intense fighting between the two sides resulted in one of the world's most acute humanitarian crises, with about 22 million people in Yemen currently in need of some form of humanitarian assistance or protection, according to the UN figures.

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