Yemen Peace Talks Begin in Geneva

Talks aimed at bringing peace to Yemen began June 15 in the Swiss capital of Geneva.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon opened the forum calling for a ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to reach Yemen’s civilians. “We don’t have a moment to lose,” said Ban. “In Yemen’s case, the ticking clock is not a timepiece, it’s a time bomb. The fighting is giving new strength to some of the world’s most ruthless terrorist groups. The region simply cannot sustain another open wound like Syria and Libya.”

Yemeni Foreign Minister Reyad Yassin Abdulla expressed willingness for a ceasefire, but he did not believe the Houthis would keep it: “If they are still occupying Yemen, if they are still killing innocent people, if they are still destroying everything, what kind of ceasefire [would it be]?”

Fighting increased in Yemen earlier this year when the Iran-backed Houthi militia took over the capital forcing the government to flee. Saudi Arabia has since led an air campaign to push back Houthi territorial gains.