UN chief urges extension of Yemen's two-month nationwide truce

UNITED NATIONS, May 31 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday stressed the need to extend and fully implement all elements of the renewable, two-month nationwide truce in Yemen.

Guterres earlier in the day had a phone call with Rashad Al-Alimi, the president of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, to discuss the implementation of the United Nations-brokered truce and political and security developments in Yemen.

The UN chief reaffirmed "the close relationship" between the United Nations and the Yemeni government. He also underscored the critical role of the truce "in addressing some of the most immediate humanitarian and economic needs to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people," including facilitating the freedom of movement of people and goods to, from and across Yemen.

In recent weeks, the UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has intensified efforts to renew the truce. He tweeted on Monday that an extension was "critical to solidify benefits delivered so far and provide space to move towards a political settlement."

On April 1, the warring parties in Yemen's seven-year conflict agreed to a statewide cease-fire. Grundberg said that "the aim of this truce is to give Yemenis a necessary break from violence, relief from the humanitarian suffering and most importantly hope that an end to this conflict is possible."