LOC02:09
23:09 GMT
ADEN, April 8 (KUNA) -- The UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths on Wednesday welcomed a two-week unilateral ceasefire announced by the Saudi-led coalition to be effective as of Thursday.
The announcement comes in support of the UN's peace process and the UN Secretary-General's call for a nationwide ceasefire in order to avert the grave risks of a Covid-19 outbreak, he said in a statement.
"I am grateful to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arab Coalition for recognizing and acting on this critical moment for Yemen. The parties must now utilize this opportunity and cease immediately all hostilities with the utmost urgency, and make progress towards comprehensive and sustainable peace," Griffiths said.
The Special Envoy has been mediating between the parties to reach agreements on a nation-wide ceasefire, humanitarian and economic measures that will bring tangible relief to the people of Yemen, and the resumption of the political process to comprehensively end the war.
He hoped that the Coalition's ceasefire announcement would create a conducive environment for the parties to conclude these agreements in the very near future.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Saudi-led Arab coalition announced a two-week ceasefire in Yemen starting Thursday.
The ceasefire can be extended in a drive to allow implementation on the ground of UN Secretary General's envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths' call for a meeting between the legitimate government in Yemen and the Houthi militias, coalition spokesman Colonel Turki Al-Maleki was quoted by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) as saying. (end)
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