News / Yemen

UN Security Council urges sustainable, meaningful ceasefire in Yemen

Wednesday, 06 January 2016 7:51 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 06 January 2016 7:57 AM ]

File photo shows UN Security Council in session. ©AP

The UN Security Council has called on warring sides in Yemen to begin a “sustainable” ceasefire after Saudi Arabia ended a UN-brokered truce.

"The members of the council urged the parties to resume a meaningful, sustainable ceasefire that would be respected by all sides," said Uruguay's Ambassador Elbio Rosselli, who is the council president for January, on Tuesday, adding, "For the members of the council this is of fundamental importance."

Rosselli also urged the conflicting sides to “be responsible and enter into dialogue” without preconditions and “prevent the situation from impacting elsewhere.”

The remarks came as UN special envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, is expected to hold meetings in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to press for resumption of talks.

On January 2, the Saudi regime officially ended the ceasefire that began on December 15. The announcement was a major setback to attempts for peace.

Yemenis look at destruction in the street following Saudi airstrikes on the capital, Sana'a, on January 5, 2016. (AFP)

Meanwhile, Cheikh Ahmed has called for a fresh round of talks on January 14, but the parties have not yet confirmed their attendance.

During the Tuesday session, the UN Security Council also urged the parties to take part in the new negotiations and "expressed deep concern on the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen which continues to worsen."

According to the office of the UN commissioner for human rights, at least 81 people were killed in December 2015, most of them in Saudi airstrikes.

Saudi Arabia started the military attacks in late March 2015 in a bid to undermine Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah movement and bring back to power the country’s former fugitive president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who is a strong ally of Riyadh.

Last month, the warring parties took part in six-day talks in Switzerland. The negotiations, however, ended without a major breakthrough.

More than 7,500 people have been killed and over 14,000 others injured since the Saudi strikes started. The Saudi war has also taken a heavy toll on the impoverished country’s facilities and infrastructure.

Yemenis have, meanwhile, been carrying out retaliatory attacks against Saudi forces deployed in the country as well as targets inside the kingdom.

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