U.S. says Yemen's Houthis bear "major responsibility" in conflict

[June 04, 2021]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have failed to try to secure a ceasefire and take move toward resolving the brutal conflict, the State Department said on Friday.

Armed Houthi followers ride on the back of a truck after participating in a funeral of Houthi fighters killed in recent fighting against government forces in Yemen's oil-rich province of Marib, in Sanaa, Yemen February 20, 2021. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

"While there are numerous problematic actors inside of Yemen, the Houthis bear major responsibility for refusing to engage meaningfully on a ceasefire and to take steps to resolve a nearly seven-year conflict that has brought unimaginable suffering to the Yemeni people," the department said after special U.S. envoy Tim Lenderking returned from the region.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Susan Heavey)

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