Chinese envoy calls for extension of Yemen truce

UNITED NATIONS, July 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday called on parties to the Yemen conflict to work toward the extension of the current truce and to find a lasting solution.

The truce in Yemen has been generally holding and there have been positive developments in the security and humanitarian situations. The Yemeni government, the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition forces reaffirmed their commitments to the truce at the third meeting of the Military Coordination Committee in Amman. China welcomes these developments, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

"The truce in Yemen expires on Aug. 2. Extending the truce is the shared aspiration of the Yemeni people and the international community, and is in the common interests of all parties in Yemen," he told the Security Council. "China hopes that all parties in Yemen will strengthen their political will, stay firmly in the general direction of political settlement, actively push for an extension of the truce and work together to seek a lasting solution to the Yemen issue."

Yemen is experiencing the worst food crisis in recent years with more than 19 million people facing famine. However, only about 26 percent of the UN humanitarian response plan for Yemen is currently funded. Multiple aid projects of the UN system are about to be suspended or scaled down due to insufficient funding, he noted.

China welcomes the tireless efforts of the United Nations and relevant agencies to improve the humanitarian situation in Yemen and calls on the international community to keep its input in Yemen, honor its commitments to assistance, and increase its funding so as to simultaneously improve the humanitarian and security situations. All parties in Yemen should actively cooperate in the humanitarian operations and facilitate humanitarian access, he said.