LOC03:52
00:52 GMT
ADEN, March 30 (KUNA) -- The Yemeni government welcomed on Sunday the invitation by the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths to hold an urgent meeting to discuss a comprehensive ceasefire in Yemen in order to combat any possible outbreaks from the coronavirus, known as Covid-19, in the country.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement, "this position comes in the interest of the government to alleviate the suffering of the Yemenis and in order to do what could be to spare Yemen the consequences of a possible spread of the global pandemic."
The statement called on the international community and the Security Council to pressure Houthi militia to respond to this call "without preconditions" and to stop its escalation, especially after last Wednesday's call by the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to stop fighting in Yemen and make efforts to counter the possible spread of the virus.
"Yemen needs its leaders to focus every minute of their time on averting and mitigating the potentially disastrous consequences of a COVID-19 outbreak," Griffiths said in a statement recently.
Griffiths reiterated that indiscriminate attacks affecting civilians or civilian targets, whether inside or outside of Yemen, are unlawful and reprehensible. (end)
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