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US deeply concerned over violence surge in Yemen

WASHINGTON, Dec 8 (KUNA) -- The US voiced deep concerns over the increase of violence in Yemen, calling on "all parties there to reject the use of violence against their political opponents." State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters, late Thursday, the situation Yemen is "so dire," and that "the more that we see violence take place, the worse the situation can become for civilians, in particular for women and children." "We are particularly concerned by the reports the actions in Sana'a, including the unlawful killings, the mass detentions and the violent suppression of peaceful protests," she stressed.
She reiterated that "an enduring solution to the conflict and the dire humanitarian situation will not be reached militarily, all sides must agree to immediate cessation of hostilities, and return to UN-mediated negotiation toward a comprehensive political agreement." She affirmed that a "political solution is the only way to advance long-term stability in Yemen." She stressed, "we're really concerned about the level of violence," as well as the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, saying there is "tremendous food insecurity there, you have a cholera problem, you have the fighting and now since the killing of the former President (Ali Abdullah Saleh), you've seen additional civil unrest." "It's a dire situation, we're tremendously concerned about that violence. But, if we can get more humanitarian aid in there, then that would be certainly a step in the right direction and we're trying to push for that," she concluded. (end) si.mb