Washington (US), March 23: The United States welcomes Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government's commitment to a ceasefire in Yemen, State Department spokesperson Jalina Porter told reporters on Monday.
"The United States welcomes Saudi Arabia and Republic of Yemen government's commitment to a ceasefire and political process in Yemen," Porter said during a daily briefing.
She called on all parties "to commit seriously to a ceasefire immediately and engage in negotiations under the auspices of UN."
Porter said that US Special Envoy for Yemen, Timothy Lenderking, has been extensively engaged with all stakeholders "to reach a ceasefire and ease the suffering of the Yemeni people."
Earlier on Monday, Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government, proposed a widespread United Nations-sponsored ceasefire in Yemen and said it is currently awaiting a response from the armed Houthi political opposition faction.
The Saudi plan provides for the resumption of the operation of the international airport in the Yemeni capital of Sana'a in some directions, the partial lifting of the blockade from the Yemeni port of Al Hudaydah, and the channeling of proceeds from the use of the port to a joint account of the northern and southern authorities in the central bank.
Yemen, the poorest nation in the Middle East, has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces led by Yemen's president-in-exile, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, and the Houthi opposition group since 2014. The Arab coalition, led by Riyadh, launched a military incursion into Yemen to support Hadi in 2015. The Houthis continue to maintain control over a vast part of the north of the country, including the capital of Sana'a.
Source: Sputnik
