UN: September deadliest for civilians in Yemen but new hope

September was deliest month for civilians in war-torn Yemen this year but violence has lessened very recently and re are signs of hope, U.N. officials said Thursday. U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths cautioned in a briefing to Security Council, however, that hopeful signs “are fragile.”

He pointed to very recent reduction of violence in Yemen’s mainly rebel-controlled rth, “volatile” situation in sourn Yemen “but with a tenuous calm” in its main city en, and “a growing generosity of spirit between parties,” including freeing of some detainees and prisoners and desperately needed oil ships being allowed into main port of Hodeida.

“se are small signs perhaps in a frightening season but something for us to nurture,” Griffiths said by video from Saudi capital Riyh.

U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told council that “September was deliest month for civilians so far this year, with reports of 388 killed or injured due to conflict across country.” “That’s an aver of 13 people every day,” he said.

Lowcock cited some of many “gruesome examples” including four children killed in detonation of unexploded ordnance, air strikes killing 22 civilians in a mosque and family home, and fourth airstrike on a U.N.-supported water system serving 12,000 people.

conflict in Yemen began with 2014 takeover of capital, Sanaa, by Iran-backed Houthi Shiite rebels who control much of country’s rth. A Saudi-led coalition allied with Yemen’s internationally recognized government has been fighting Houthis since 2015.

fighting in Arab world’s poorest country has killed thousands of civilians and created world’s worst humanitarian crisis, leaving millions suffering from food and medical care shorts and pushing country to brink of famine.

Lowcock told council that Yemen remains “ world’s worst humanitarian crisis and largest relief operation,” with more than 250 relief ncies, mostly Yemeni, working with U.N. and reaching 12 million people across country every month.

While situation on violence “is a bit better,” he said, re are still “more than 30 active front lines” and “we can only hope that recent steps towards de-escalation ... will continue.”

U.N. envoy Griffiths said that in south, which saw a violent attempt to take over government institutions in August, “re has been large-scale fighting in areas of dispute.”

He told council he h hoped an agreement could have been anunced Thursday resolving issues between internationally recognized government and separatists that would end power struggle in en.

Talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia have me “very significant progress,” Griffiths said, and an agreement “may be well within reach.”

He welcomed last month’s initiative by Houthis to suspend all drones and ballistic missile attack on Saudi Arabia, “and I also welcome reduction of violence that followed that anuncement.”

“Since beginning of October, number of airstrikes has reduced considerably across Yemen,” Griffiths said. “And I am obviously encourd by that. This is, however, a very recent and obviously a very fragile gain, but it’s certainly a step in right direction.”

Griffiths’ goal remains to get representatives from government, Houthis, and south around same table to negotiate an end to war and a political deal that unites country — but that still remains a distant goal.