Yemen's foreign minister urges firm stance on Houthi threats
Afrah al-Zouba also described the humanitarian toll of the Houthi blockade of Taiz and the deaths of UN staff.
Yemen's Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba met Remy Ferro, head of the Yemeni-French Friendship Group in the French Senate, in Paris on Tuesday, the news agency of Yemen's internationally recognised government Saba (Government) reported.
The talks covered developments in Yemen, including what al-Zouba described as escalating military attacks by Iran-allied Houthi militias on civilian sites and international shipping routes.
Al-Zouba said Houthi threats and their coordination with groups in the Horn of Africa make the militias a cross-border danger that requires a firm international stance.
She also outlined the humanitarian suffering she said is caused by the Houthi blockade of Taiz city.
Al-Zouba cited kidnapping and torture of UN staff and humanitarian workers, and said these crimes recently led to the death of UN employee Mohammed al-Shami.
Ferro confirmed that France and the European Union are interested in adopting a new approach to the Yemen issue that keeps pace with developments on the ground.
Yemen has been torn by conflict since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, and a Saudi-led military coalition intervened in 2015 to back the internationally recognised government.
Taiz has been affected by fighting for years, and aid agencies have repeatedly warned about humanitarian needs across the country.
