ISTANBUL 

Qatar called on all parties in Yemen on Thursday to return to dialogue for resolving the ongoing conflict within the country.

In a statement, the Qatari Foreign Ministry expressed “its full support for all efforts aimed at enhancing peace and societal security in the sisterly Republic of Yemen.”

It stressed the need “for close cooperation among all Yemeni parties to avoid escalation and resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue and peaceful means, in a manner that preserves Yemen’s unity and territorial integrity.”

The ministry reiterated support for the legitimate Yemeni government, the Presidential Leadership Council, and all efforts led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to strengthen security and stability and advance the path of de-escalation in Yemen.

Since Dec. 3, the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces have taken control of parts of the eastern province of Hadramout following clashes with the Hadramout Tribes Alliance and government-aligned First Military Region forces. Four days later, STC forces expanded their control to Mahra, which had been under government authority.

A joint Saudi-Emirati military team was dispatched to Aden in southern Yemen to put arrangements in place with the STC that would ensure its forces return to their previous positions outside the two provinces.

The takeover prompted mounting local and regional calls for STC forces to withdraw from Hadramout and Mahra, which together account for nearly half of Yemen’s territory, about 555,000 square kilometers.

The UN has warned that continued escalation could have serious consequences for Yemen, which is already facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian and economic crises.