The UN envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, said on Wednesday that his efforts to end the country’s six-year conflict were not gaining traction. He will leave his post for a promotion in the world body.
Mr Griffiths told the Security Council that the Iran-backed Houthi rebels had continued a "relentless military escalation" in the gas-rich Marib region, despite his efforts to broker a ceasefire deal with Yemen's internationally recognised government.
The council met as the UN said he would soon replace Mark Lowcock as the its humanitarian chief and emergency relief co-ordinator, after spending three years trying to bridge seemingly insurmountable differences between Yemen’s opposing sides.
The latest peace talks ground to a halt without a truce after Houthi negotiators refused to meet Mr Griffiths in Oman and increased their deadly assault on Marib, the government's last stronghold in northern Yemen.
“I am unfortunately not here today to report that the parties are closing in on a deal,” he told the online UN council meeting.
“I cannot force the parties to negotiate. This is their obligation.”
Mr Griffiths was approached by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to replace Mr Lowcock, who is set to step down after four years on the job.
The UN formally announced the posting, saying he had "extensive leadership experience in humanitarian affairs" in several global hotspots, and knowledge in "conflict resolution, negotiation and mediation".
Mr Griffiths will be the fifth Briton in a row to hold the position.
Diplomats and aid workers told The National he became the consensus choice after other British candidates were rejected by Mr Guterres.
They included Nick Dyer, the UK government’s preferred candidate and a former civil servant at Britain’s Department for International Development, and Caroline Kende-Robb, former head of humanitarian organisation Care International.
The role of humanitarian chief is one of the top-table UN jobs traditionally held by nationals from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Britain, France, China, Russia and the US.
Mr Griffiths was the founding director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva, which focuses on peacemaking.
He held that position from 1999 to 2010, and has had posts in the British government, the UN children's fund and Save the Children.
Mr Griffiths also served as the director of UN humanitarian affairs in Geneva, the deputy to the UN emergency relief co-ordinator in New York and the executive director of the European Institute of Peace in Brussels.
The UN’s aid chief is responsible for battling donor fatigue and raising money to fight looming famines in Yemen, South Sudan and north-east Nigeria, deliver aid across Syria, Libya and other war zones, and assist many of the world’s 79.5 million refugees.
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The%20Killer
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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The%20Beekeeper
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
