Yemeni Gov't to Hold Talks With Houthi Rebels Before Eid al-Adha Holiday

The government of Yemen and Houthi rebels plan to take part in peace talks before the Eid al-Adha Muslim holiday.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – The government of Yemen and Houthi rebels, who have taken control of vast areas in the country, plan to take part in peace talks before the Eid al-Adha (Festival of the Sacrifice) Muslim holiday, UN envoy in Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said.

"The Special Envoy applauds the decision of Yemeni President Abdu Rabbo Mansour Hadi and other Yemeni parties to attend the talks. He urges the participants in the talks to engage constructively and in good faith, recognizing the need or a rapid end to the violence which has brought intolerable levels of suffering to the Yemeni people," the United Nations said in a Thursday statement.

According to Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the talks will be held next week, but the exact date has not been determined yet.

"The peace talks, for which a venue and date will be announced in the coming days, are aimed at creating a framework for an agreement on implementation mechanisms for United Nations Security Council resolution 2216, a cease-fire and the resumption of a peaceful political transition, in accordance with the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and Implementation Mechanism and the Outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference," the UN statement said.

Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government and Shiite Houthi rebels, the country’s main opposition force that forced the Yemeni government to resign in January.

A coalition of Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia, has been launching airstrikes in Yemen at the request of president Hadi since March, in an attempt to push Houthis out of areas they have come to control. Government forces loyal to Hadi have been fighting Houthis on the ground. Hadi himself has been in exile in Saudi Arabia.

A land, sea and air blockade has been enforced in the country with the aim of preventing possible fuel and weaponry deliveries to Houthis.

Almost 21 million people, or 80 percent of Yemen's population, are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance amid the ongoing military conflict in Yemen, according to the United Nations.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs puts the number of dead and injured in Yemen since the escalation of the conflict in March at about 23,300.