Intro:  

Political leaders in Yemen still believe war is the only way to resolve their conflict, according to the outgoing UN Special Envoy for the country.

Ismaïl Ould Cheikh Ahmed was in New York this week to deliver his final briefing to the Security Council after three years spearheading negotiation efforts.

Since 2011, Yemen has been engulfed in what the UN has described as “a tragic and complex political military crisis,” stemming from a failed leadership transition in the wake of the Arab Spring.

Fighting escalated in 2015, with government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, battling rebels known as Houthis.

Meanwhile, more than 22 million Yemenis rely on humanitarian aid to survive, and the situation has been worsened by the world’s fastest-growing cholera epidemic, with more than 2,000 deaths since April last year.

Reem Abaza asked Mr Ould Cheikh Ahmed what has been the biggest obstacle to peace.