GENEVA
The Secretary General of the United Nations has called for a humanitarian cease-fire of at least two weeks in Yemen before the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
The remarks of Ban Ki-moon came during a press conference after the Yemen talks at the U.N. office in Geneva on Monday.
“Yemen’s very existence hangs in the balance. While parties bicker, Yemen burns,” Ban said, adding: “We don’t have a minute to lose. The ticking clock is not a timepiece, it’s a ticking bomb.”
The U.N. chief also said the parties have a responsibility to end the fighting and begin a real process of peace and reconciliation.
"We must do so, above all, for the people of Yemen, where 80 percent of the population is now in need of humanitarian assistance. We don’t have a moment to lose," Ban said.
He added: "The region simply cannot sustain another open wound like Syria and Libya. We must find a way to end the suffering and begin the long road to peace."
"I have emphasized the importance of having another humanitarian pause, for at least two weeks. The Ramadan begins in two days. Ramadan is a period when people pray for peace, reflection, harmony and reconciliation. So, the people of Yemen should be able to enjoy this kind of peace, particularly during Ramadan," said Ban.
The Yemen talks in Geneva are expected to continue till Wednesday, but they might be extended.
Nearly 20 million Yemenis are now in need of humanitarian assistance, which is 78 percent of the entire Yemeni population, the U.N. says.
The number of people who need humanitarian assistance in the country increased by 4 million with the Saudi intervention in March 2015, it says.
Fractious Yemen has remained in turmoil since last September, when Houthi militants overran Sana’a from which they have sought to extend their influence to other parts of the country.
On March 25, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies began an extensive air campaign targeting Houthi positions across the country.
Riyadh says its campaign comes in response to appeals by Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi -- who is in Saudi Arabia -- for military intervention against Houthi militants.
The Houthis, however, denounce the offensive as unwarranted “Saudi-American aggression” against Yemen.
