With all eyes on Yemeni peace negotiations, the United Nations envoy for the country announced yesterday that the UN-supported talks under way in Kuwait have been extended for an additional week.
Earlier, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, presented to the parties a proposal for a political solution, embodied by a roadmap which builds on the common ground achieved in the preceding weeks.
“We hope that the delegations can utilize this remaining week to achieve progress on the path towards peace,” the Special Envoy said in a statement.
In mid-July, Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed appealed to the parties, stating that “the time has come for you to take definitive decisions that demonstrate to the Yemeni people the sincerity of your intentions and your national obligations.”
Vast swathes of war-torn Yemen – 19 out of 22 governorates – are facing severe food insecurity, and the situation within affected areas is likely to deteriorate if conflict persists, according to a new assessment by the United Nations and partners.
The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis confirms that over half the country’s population is living in ’emergency’ or ‘crisis’ levels of food insecurity, with some governorates seeing as much as 70 per cent of their population struggling to feed themselves.
Following nearly 16 months of conflict in Yemen, the cessation of hostilities was declared on 10 April and has since continued to provide relief from violence in many parts of the country. But serious violations have occurred in Marib, al Jawf, Taiz and in the border areas with Saudi Arabia.
This post was originally published in UN News Centre. Click here to read.