UN envoy urges Yemen warring rivals to reduce violence

SANAA, Yemen (AA) - UN special envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg on Wednesday called on the country's warring parties to take steps to reduce violence and to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people.

In a statement on Twitter, Grundberg also urged all parties involved in the war in Yemen "to engage constructively and in good faith with the ongoing efforts to urgently reach a truce."

There was no comments from the Yemeni government or Houthi rebels on Grundberg's call.

On Sunday, Grundberg said he discussed with the Houthi group and Omani officials the implementation of "a possible truce” in Yemen during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, due to start early April.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The conflict has created one of the world's worst man-made humanitarian crises, with nearly 80% of the country, or about 30 million people, in need of humanitarian assistance and protection and more than 13 million are in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar