No deal reached in U.N. arranged Yemen peace talks
GENEVA - U.N. envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed says peace talks in Geneva between the exiled Yemeni government and Shiite rebels who control the capital have concluded without reaching an agreement.
He told reporters Friday that two sides broadly favor a cease-fire in which the rebels would withdraw from cities and towns while a Saudi-led coalition halts airstrikes in support of the government but were not able to clinch a deal.
He says any agreement "will require further consultation" and did not specify a time for any future talks.
More than 1,000 civilians have been killed in fighting between the rebels and their opponents and in coalition airstrikes since late March.
The airstrikes targeted the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, the southern city of Aden and the provinces of Lahj and Jouf early Friday morning, officials and witnesses said. The 10 civilians were killed in strikes on the rebels' northern stronghold, Saada, witnesses said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press. The witnesses insisted on anonymity for fear of retribution.
The fighting in Yemen pits Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, and troops loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh against southern separatists, local and tribal militias, Sunni Islamic militants and loyalists of internationally recognized President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who is in exile in Saudi Arabia. The rebels seized the capital in September.
The U.S.-backed coalition began launching airstrikes against the Houthis and their allies in late March, but has made little progress in pushing the rebels back.
U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Stephen O'Brien on Friday warned of a "looming humanitarian catastrophe," with at least 11.7 million people affected by the conflict. He requested $1.6 billion dollars in emergency aid.
"People across the country are struggling to feed their families. Basic services are collapsing in all regions. Millions of families no longer have access to clean water, proper sanitation or basic health care. Deadly diseases such as dengue and malaria have broken out, and supplies for acute trauma care are running dangerously low," he said in Geneva.