Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy to Yemen, arrived in the rebel-held capital Sanaa on Monday for the first time since taking office nine months ago.
According to a source at Sanaa Airport, Grundberg arrived in Sanaa from Muscat, the Omani capital.
Grundberg is scheduled to meet with Houthi leaders as part of the UN’s efforts to broker a political settlement that will end Yemen’s nine-year conflict.
Yemen’s government had previously accused the Houthi group of refusing to meet in Sanaa with the UN envoy.
The Houthi rebels made no comment on the UN envoy’s arrival in Sanaa.
Earlier this month, Grundberg secured a two-month ceasefire between Houthi rebels and Yemen’s government.
Yemen has been wracked by violence and insecurity since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured a large portion of the country, including Sanaa.
A Saudi-led coalition seeking to restore Yemen’s government has exacerbated the crisis, resulting in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. According to UN estimates, nearly 80 percent, or approximately 30 million people, require humanitarian assistance and protection, with more than 13 million at risk of starvation.
