UN chief urges resumption of Yemen peace process
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for the resumption of peace process in Yemen amid continuation of internal unrest and Saudi incessant military aggression.
Ban made the remarks while speaking in Qatar's capital, Doha, on the sidelines of a UN crime conference on Sunday.
"There should be a cessation of military moves as soon as possible," AFP quoted Ban as saying, adding, “Let the peace process be resumed, the United Nations stands ready."
The UN chief also called for the immediate termination of hostilities threatening the lives of civilians across Yemen.
"We urgently need a de-escalation and return to peaceful negotiation. I firmly believe that... negotiations remain the best chance to prevent a long, drawn-out conflict," he said.
The remarks come after the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen warned that the current crisis triggered following Saudi aggression against the impoverished Arab country is among the largest in the world.
Johannes van der Klaauw said 16 million Yemenis need humanitarian assistance to meet their most basic needs.
He added that civilian infrastructure, including schools, health facilities, markets, power plants and warehouses, has been damaged and disrupted by the ongoing Saudi airstrikes and internal fighting.
Meanwhile, the UN special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons recently warned that the international community must to be prepared for a massive displacement and humanitarian crisis in Yemen as civilians flee the Saudi bombings and clashes.
“Unless rapidly resolved, the crisis could lead to mass displacement in the wake of heavy and ongoing fighting and airstrikes,” Chaloka Beyani said on Wednesday, adding, “The picture on the ground is extremely bleak and humanitarian responses must be stepped up as a matter of urgency."
The Saudi bombing attacks on Yemen began on March 26. The aggression came without warning or UN mandate, in what experts believe is a futile effort to restore power to the former fugitive president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who Riyadh considers as its close ally.
Yemeni army sources say at least 1,000 people, including 200 children, have been killed in Saudi air attacks against its southern neighbor over the past two weeks.
JR/KA/SS
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