STC Acting President Receives Norwegian Special Envoy

Mr. Ali Abdullah Al-Kathiri, Acting President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and Chairman of the National Assembly, has received today, Wednesday, Ms. Heidi Johansson, Special Envoy of the Kingdom of Norway to Yemen.

At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Al-Kathiri extended his warm welcome to Ms. Heidi and congratulated her appointment as a special envoy to the country, praising the significant role played by the Kingdom of Norway in the region as a whole and in the country in particular, in supporting the humanitarian situation and its political efforts to back the UN-led peace endeavors.

Mr. Al-Kathiri has affirmed the STC's commitment to working with international partners to ensure maximum living standards for the people in the South and is keen to cease the war and bring about a just and lasting peace that meets the aspirations of the people of the South and their right to self-determination and the restoration of their state with its full sovereignty.

The meeting discussed the dire humanitarian situation and the ongoing displacement of families from the North to the South amid the escalating violence perpetrated by the Houthi militia, both at land and sea, highlighted the immense burdens borne by the host community due to the strain on services and the rapid economic collapse, and called on the Kingdom of Norway and the international community to support the economy to alleviate the suffering of the people who are facing difficult living conditions.

For her part, Ms. Heidi expressed her country's aspiration to see an end to the war and pledged full support for peace-building efforts. She underscored her understanding of the aspirations of the people of the South and the need for the country to achieve complete stability given its significant position on the international map.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Fahim Saif, office head of the Director of the Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Authority (FAEA) of the STC, and Mr. Aseel Mohammed Ahmed, Deputy Head of the Department of International Organizations and Human Rights Affairs of the FAEA.