Local Editor

The United Nations [UN] Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced extreme concern on Tuesday at the "escalating airstrikes and ground fighting that have caused further devastation to Yemen’s cities and an ever-growing number of civilian casualties in recent days".

A Saudi-led coalition backed by the United States has been carrying out a military aggression on Yemen by launching airstrikes against the country since March 26. The airstrikes have not been authorized by the UN. 

In a statement released on Tuesday, Ban Ki-moon called on all parties to the Yemeni conflict "to take all feasible precautions to avoid loss of civilian life and damage to civilian objects".

The fighting in the country has raged for more than a year, claiming the lives of more than 2,000 civilians, according to the UN. 

The statement further noted that the Secretary-General welcomes the recent release last Sunday of six foreign nationals by Yemen’s Ansarullah Houthi fighters. The hostages, including two Americans, three Saudis and a British citizen, were released on Sunday and later flown from Yemen’s Sanaa to neighbouring Oman. 

"This measure represents a concrete and positive step in efforts to lessen tensions in the region and ease the path to a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Yemen", it said.

The statement added that the Secretary-General hopes that the release of these six foreign citizens will be followed immediately by the release of all civilians detained or held for political reasons in Yemen.

Ban Ki-moon also called upon all parties in the conflict to work with his Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, in the search for a durable political solution.