Off the wire
• 2nd LD: At least 25 killed in twin blasts hitting Chadian capital  • Israel PM slams Abbas for urging int'l ban on settlement products  • Young British suicide bomber in IS attacks shocks hometown  • News Analysis: Asian economic growth likely to remain subdued in H2  • Myanmar receives over 2 bln USD contracted foreign investment in two months  • Greece's only plan is to reach deal, stay in euro zone: Greek officials  • China Exclusive: Head transplant experiments spark debate in China  • More Belgian teens seeking help for cannabis use  • Singapore man in Shangri-La Hotel shooting sentenced to 8 years in jail  • Royal Jordanian to launch direct flights to Iraq's Najaf  
You are here: 　 Home

Yemen's very existence hangs in balance: UN head

Xinhua, June 15, 2015 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned on Monday after holding meetings with representatives of the Yemeni government and the Group of 16 plus that "in Yemen's case, the ticking clock is not a time-piece, it's a time-bomb."

"Our goal was to have joint meetings this morning, but logistical issues made this impossible," the UN head said, while assuring that all consultations participants were expected to arrive later on Monday.

The UN-led Geneva Consultations on Yemen, or Yemen Consultations, held in Geneva's Palais des Nations, are the first of its kind to involve the different sides of the Yemeni conflict since hostilities resumed, thus marking an important step as the parties embark on the road towards a settlement.

The members of the "Group of Sixteen" include the Ambassadors of China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Egypt and Turkey, as well as the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union.

Having attended the initial talks on Monday morning, Ban stated that the meetings had been very constructive, while stressing the "we have a special obligation to act ... and that we don't have a moment to lose."

"While parties bicker, Yemen burns," he said, adding that "the parties have a responsibility to end the fighting and begin the real process of peace and reconciliation."

"The region simply cannot sustain another open-wound like Syria and Libya," Ban continued, highlighting the need to end the suffering and begin the long road to peace.

The UN chief furthermore believes that there is reason for hope given the unity of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

He also called for a renewed humanitarian pause and for the parties to the conflict to reach agreements on local ceasefires, while stressing the need for a peaceful and orderly political transition.

"I hope that this week will mark the beginning of the end of fighting," Ban concluded.

Originally set to start on Sunday, the UN-led consultations on Yemen were rescheduled to Monday due to unforeseen circumstances.

Around 80 percent of Yemen's population is in need of humanitarian assistance because of the protracted conflict which has killed some 2,600 people since May, half of them civilians. Endit