News Analysis: As Yemen peace talks break up, further violence escalation seems inevitable

The UN-sponsored talks in Geneva between all Yemeni factions wrapped up on Friday without a deal to end the conflict or at least a shaky cease-fire for humanitarian concerns.

The failure of the peace talks leaves the door open to more tragedies amid the ongoing fighting which has left 80 percent of Yemen's population in need of emergency aid as the people have limited access to electricity, fuel, food, water and medicine for more than two months.

Observers said the UN efforts cannot bridge the huge gap between the exiled government and Houthi group as both two sides intend to control the whole country and expel the other from the political transition process in the future.

FAILED AGENDAS

Abdul Salam Muhammad, head of the ABAAD studies and research center, said the gap between the government and the Houthi militants is much bigger than it appears and the failure of the Geneva talks is well anticipated.

The government wanted the talks to be based on the Gulf Initiative, the outcomes of the national dialogue conference and the UN resolutions to address the crisis, which request the Houthis to withdraw from cities it seized and disarmed, Muhammad said.

While the Houthis were demanding the halt of Saudi-led air strikes as they were gaining ground in the battles against the pro-government forces, he added.

Apparently, neither side was willing to take a step back, Muhammad said.

Fuad Alsalahi, a political sociology professor at Sanaa University, said the talks focused more how to share power among the warring parties than on addressing the deepening violence and humanitarian suffering for ordinary Yemenis.

Observers also said the failure of the Geneva talks has exposed how external agendas are disturbing the situation in Yemen.

Nabil Albukiri, head of the Arab center for political studies and development in Sanaa, said, with support of Saudi Arabia and Iran, the Yemeni government and the Houthi group were not willing to make compromise, but make the other surrender by force, Albukiri said.

CONCERNS FOR ESCALATION

Saudi-led coalition forces and the Houthi group escalated their battles on Saturday in the wake of the tumbling talks.

The air strikes destroyed the airports in Sanaa that prevented the Houthi delegates from returning to the country and once again halted shipment of humanitarian aid for the people. Meanwhile, the Houthis intensified shelling against the pro-government forces in the southern provinces.

Observers said that as the talks have broken down, the terrorist groups in the most impoverished will be emboldened to take advantage of the ongoing conflict to consolidate and expand their foothold.

Coinciding with the talks, the Islamic State (IS) carried out deadly car bombings against mosques and Houthi headquarters in downtown the capital Sanaa. The blasts raised concerns that such a group, along with the al-Qaida network, will turn the country into an ideal breeding ground for terrorism.

"The dangers will be more complicated than ever before. IS activity is a sign that Yemen could experience the Iraqi scenario," he added.

For al-Qaida network, observers said the death of its leader Nasser Al-Wuhayshi in a U.S. drone strike a week ago will boost this group's hunger for revenge.

Following the collapse of talks, the United Nations appealed for 1.6 billion US dollars to help millions of Yemenis in need of aid, warning of a "looming catastrophe" in the war-torn country.

"The money is needed to address the constantly increasing humanitarian needs in Yemen until the end of 2015," Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN's humanitarian agency, said in Geneva.

"More than 21 million people, or 80 percent of the population, is now estimated to be in need of some form of humanitarian aid," he said. Endit