Yemeni president calls for international pressure on Houthis to reach cease-fire

By Zeynep Tufekci Gulay and Ammar El Khalfi

ADEN (AA) - Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi on Saturday urged international pressure to force Houthis to agree to a cease-fire.

Hadi met US Special Representative for Yemen Tim Lenderking at his home in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, according to the Yemeni official news agency, SABA.

They discussed ending the war and establishing peace. Hadi urged pressure on the Houthis to end the targeting of civilians, refugees, public and private institutions and force peace.

Lenderking praised the efforts of the Yemeni government to establish peace and end the war.

He reiterated his support for Yemen's unity, stability and security, ending the war and establishing peace.

Since February, Iran-aligned Houthis have stepped up attacks to take control of the oil-rich Marib province, one of the most important strongholds of the legitimate government and home to the headquarters of Yemen’s Defense Ministry.

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

A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the government has worsened the situation and caused one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises, with 233,000 people killed, nearly 80% or about 30 million needing humanitarian assistance and protection, and more than 13 million in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar