Yemen’s foreign minister calls for return to negotiating table

Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdel Malek Al-Mekhlafi said yesterday that it is important the main players return to the negotiating table to put an end to the war that is ripping his country apart.

“We need to find the ideal solution which is a return to the negotiating table, to put an end the war, to return to a sustainable system supported by the people of Yemen,” Mekhlafi said, addressing a United Nations conference held in Geneva to fundraise for his country.

A return to the negotiating table would also enable the opening of Yemeni sea ports and airports to humanitarian assistance, Mekhlafi added.

Read: ICRC warns of Yemeni society’s slow death due to hunger

International donors have pledged more than $2 billion in humanitarian aid for Yemeni civilians who have been suffering from the repercussions of war since 2014.

According to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, more than 22 million Yemeni civilians have been affected by the war, and they are in dire need of humanitarian assistance and protection.

Guterres said in his opening speech that the only way out of the Yemeni crisis is to reach a political settlement through negotiations and comprehensive dialogue that includes all parties to the conflict.

He also called on all sides in Yemen to cooperate with his Special Envoy to the country Martin Griffiths.