US leader calls for end of war in Yemen and outlines next steps

(Reuters) – UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for an end to the war in Yemen and outlined steps that parties to the conflict must take to move forward, warning that the continuation of the fighting would bring about the worst famine in the country in a decade. .

"Yemen is today on a precipice. On the humanitarian front, the situation is desperate. We must do everything in our power to prevent the deterioration of the already catastrophic situation, "Guterres told reporters at the United Nations.

He said the recent political developments had created signs of hope for settlement, and he urged the warring parties to put an end to the violence, especially around cities and critical infrastructure.

Guterres' remarks come three days after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for the cessation of hostilities and said the US-led negotiations to end the war should begin in November.

Several other countries also joined the call at the end of the conflict.

"We must do everything in our power to maximize the chances of success," Guterres said.

He called for commercial and humanitarian imports of food, fuel and other basic necessities to be allowed without restrictions, and urged the parties to leave the roads open so that "necessities" can reach communities across the country. "

He called on the Yemeni parties to engage in negotiations in good faith, without preconditions, with United Nations Special Envoy Martin Griffiths, with a view to reaching a negotiated political settlement.

"The international community has a real opportunity to end the senseless cycle of violence and prevent an impending disaster," Guterres said. "It's time to act."

Despite calls, fighting continued on Friday, with the Saudi-led coalition claiming that it had attacked Sana'a International Airport and an adjacent air base used by Houthi insurgents.

Guterres said he calls on both sides to end the violence and preserve important infrastructure.

"We call on each of them to start the cessation of hostilities as soon as possible, right now in our opinion, in order to allow the start of the political process," he said. "Of course, we are not there yet. This is why we are calling on the kind of military action on both sides. "