US 'slams the brakes' on UN Yemen ceasefire resolution

Washington : The US has "slammed the brakes" on a UN Security Council resolution calling for a limited ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid in Yemen over concerns about angering Saudi Arabia.

An informed source told CNN on Monday night that the US "has slammed the brakes on", saying that "we can't support a resolution at the moment".

The source also said the move was at odds with what US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has been signaling to her counterparts at the UN, since she was supportive of the planned resolution weeks ago.

There has been no official comment on the matter by the White House.

The draft resolution, crafted by the UK is already seen by human rights groups as disappointingly watered-down: It calls for a ceasefire only in Hodeidah, the principal Red Sea port through which some 80 per cent of humanitarian aid flows.

The resolution is not at all critical of Saudi Arabia, and in fact compliments Saudi action; it is critical only of the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran and have been fighting Saudi-led coalition forces while maintaining control of the capital, Sanaa.

CNN reported earlier this month that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud, "threw a fit" when presented with an early draft of the document, leading to a delay and further discussions among Western allies on the matter.

This latest delay comes a week after US President Donald Trump indicated that he would not take strong action against Saudi Arabia or the Crown Prince for the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The situation in Yemen is now viewed as the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet, with some 13 million Yemenis at risk of starving to death, according to the UN and human rights groups.

Save the Children has said that an estimated 85,000 children under the age of five may have died from extreme hunger or disease since the war began.

The conflict, which began in 2015 as a civil war, gathered force when Saudi Arabia and allies entered the battle to counter what they saw as Iranian influence.

The Gulf coalition received logistical and intelligence support from the US, UK and France, which have also been selling weapons to Saudi Arabia.

After nearly four years, the war has killed around 57,000 people.