Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said Thursday that the Arab Coalition’s announcement of a ceasefire in Yemen was in support of the UN envoy’s efforts to “end the conflict and focus on battling the coronavirus” pandemic.
“We hope that the Houthis would take this opportunity … to give priority to the interests of the Yemeni people,” he said on Twitter.
The ceasefire went into effect on Thursday, potentially paving the way for an end to the country’s conflict.
Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf also welcomed the Arab Coalition’s announcement, saying that with the ceasefire in place, efforts could now be exerted to fight the coronavirus.
The Coalition announced late on Wednesday that the ceasefire would last for two weeks and that it comes in response to UN calls to halt hostilities amid the pandemic.
So far, Yemen has not recorded any virus cases.
