Britain to Present UN Resolution Demanding Yemen Ceasefire

Russia Blocked Previous 'Wishy-Washy' Statement on Yemen

by Jason Ditz,

Britain is reportedly planning to present a new draft resolution at the UN Security Council next week calling for an immediate ceasefire in Yemen, and urging increased access for humanitarian aid to the civilian population, which is under a Saudi naval blockade.

The resolution is a replacement for a previous British attempt at a “joint statement” at the security council criticizing the airstrike against a Yemen funeral home, which killed 155 people. The Russians blocked the statement, saying it was “wishy-washy” and offered no serious proposals for ending the humanitarian crisis.

While the US has long backed the Saudi war, and could’ve been relied on to block any UN Security Council action, they havemore recently been critical of the Saudi war crimes and may no longer be a guaranteed veto for the ceasefire call.

If the new resolution doesn’t add preconditions to the ceasefire, it would be a massive change, as the Saudis have previously cited 2014 resolutions calling for the more or less total surrender and disarmament of the Houthis as the basis for any talks, meaning they’ll only negotiate after the other side gives up.

http://news.antiwar.com/2016/10/14/britain-to-present-un-resolution-demanding-yemen-ceasefire/