UN envoy continues consultations with Yemen's political parties

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg continued his consultations with Yemen's political parties in a bid to resume peace talks.

The envoy's office said in a statement that he held bilateral meetings in Jordan's capital Amman with the representatives of the parties, aiming to create a framework for a comprehensive solution to end the protracted civil war, reports Xinhua news agency.

The envoy met leaders of the General People's Congress Party, as well as the delegations of the Islah Party, the Yemeni Socialist Party, and the Nasserist Unionist People's Organization, the statement said.

Over 100 Yemeni men and women from political parties, the security and economic sectors, and civil society will be consulted over the next few weeks in Jordan and in Yemen.

The envoy will continue engaging with the government of Yemen and the Houthi group as well as with regional and international stakeholders.

"This is a dire time for Yemen. The conflict, which is soon entering its eighth year, continues to exacerbate the suffering of civilians, threaten regional stability, and undermine the prospects of a peaceful solution," Grundberg said.

He added that "there is an urgent need to establish an inclusive political process that reverses this destructive trajectory and provides opportunities and space for dialogue at multiple levels".

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since the Houthi militia overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014.

Saudi Arabia has been leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after Houthis forced him into exile.