US envoy urges Yemeni parties to peace during Ramadan

ANKARA

The US special envoy to Yemen on Wednesday urged warring parties there to ensure peace during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

"We call on the parties to seize this opportunity for peace, so that we may begin to end the suffering," Timothy Lenderking said on Twitter.

"We know the suffering across Yemen is all the more difficult during this holy month," he said while congratulating Yemenis on Ramadan.

Lenderking reportedly began a Gulf tour to discuss solutions to the Yemen crisis.

The UN's special envoy for Yemen on Tuesday also urged the conflicting parties in the country to strive to ensure a "lasting and sustainable peace" during Ramadan.

"I call on the parties to silence the guns and allow Yemenis to observe the month in safety and dignity," Martin Griffiths said in a Ramadan message.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sana'a. The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

According to UN estimates, the conflict in Yemen has claimed the lives of at least 233,000 people, with millions more facing starvation and in need of humanitarian assistance.