17 June 2015

Ban Ki-moon: international community has ‘a special obligation to act’ for Yemen peace

The international community has not a moment to lose if it is to help end the fighting in Yemen and broker a lasting peace for the country, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. Briefing the press he explained that as total casualty figures surpassed 2,600, the UN and member states retained ‘a special obligation to act’. ‘Today, Yemen’s very existence hangs in the balance. While parties bicker, Yemen burns’, he said, adding: ‘The parties have a responsibility to end the fighting and begin a real process of peace and reconciliation.’

The ongoing hostilities in Yemen have only deepened its already existent humanitarian crisis, plunging the country’s civilians even further into despair. The Secretary-General warned that the ongoing fighting was also feeding into the growth of ‘ruthless’ terrorist groups and risked transforming Yemen into a ticking ‘time bomb’. ‘We don’t have a moment to lose’ he said, adding: ‘The region simply cannot sustain another open wound like Syria and Libya. We must find a way to end the suffering and begin the long road to peace.’

To that point, Mr. Ban added, there was reason for hope, as he delineated his call for action involving a renewed humanitarian pause to commence in time for the holy month of Ramadan; the agreement for local ceasefires as a pathway towards a lasting nationwide ceasefire; and a call for all Yemeni stakeholders to resume ‘a peaceful and orderly political transition’.

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Source: UN News Centre | In Geneva, Ban says international community has ‘obligation to act’ for Yemen peace

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