Philippines urges for peaceful resolution to Yemen crisis

The Philippine government joined Saturday the call for a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Yemen as it continued to monitor the situation to ensure the safety of Filipinos there.

In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reiterated the Philippine support for United Nations-brokered negotiations, in keeping with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Initiative and the National Dialogue outcomes.

"The Philippines adopts the view that the conflict in Yemen should not threaten Yemen's neighbors and calls on all parties to ensure the delivery of humanitarian and medical assistance to the people of Yemen," the department said.

It said the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh is closely monitoring the political and security situation in Yemen and is working to ensure the safe passage of Filipinos remaining in that country.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has said that 180 people have died and a further 268 were injured in August after UN-mediated peace talks were put on hold last month.

Yemen has been locked in a civil war since the Houthis seized power and overturned the Yemeni government in late 2014.

In March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition launched a bombing campaign to restore the legitimacy of the government. However, the military intervention has deepened the conflict and crises across the country. Endit