Kuwait plans to name ambassador to Yemen

By Yaqut Dandashi

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait (AA) – Kuwait said Wednesday it plans to appoint an ambassador and a project coordinator in war-torn Yemen.

Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah held talks on Wednesday with the head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, the state news agency KUNA reported.

During their meeting, the crown prince underlined Kuwait's support to the Saudi-led coalition to establish security and stability in Yemen and to UN efforts aimed at resolving the Yemeni conflict.

Al-Alimi arrived in Kuwait on Monday for talks with officials in the oil-rich Gulf country. He is also scheduled to visit Qatar, Bahrain and Egypt as part of his tour.

Last week, Yemen’s warring rivals agreed to extend a UN-brokered truce for additional two months. Under the truce, which was first reached on April 2, all military operations were halted. The agreement also allowed the operation of commercial flights from rebel-held Sanaa Airport in the Yemeni capital.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since September 2014, when Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The Saudi-led coalition entered the war in early 2015 to restore the Yemeni government to power.

The eight-year conflict has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with millions suffering from hunger.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar