UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock on Tuesday called for a cease-fire around the Red Sea port of Hudaydah in Yemen.
"I ask that the parties implement a cessation of hostilities, not least in and around all the infrastructure and facilities on which the aid operation and commercial importers rely (in Hudaydah)," Lowcock said in a statement.
Lowcock echoed a statement of the top UN envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, after an informal agreement to reduce hostilities between Saudi-led coalition forces and Houthi rebels in and around Hudaydah has reportedly taken hold.
"I echo the statement of Special Envoy Martin Griffiths, calling upon all parties to the conflict in Yemen to show restraint. All parties must live up to their obligations under international humanitarian law," said Lowcock in the statement.
The United Nations is ready to play an enhanced role in ensuring the appropriate use of key facilities, especially around Hudaydah, said Lowcock.
Last month, he warned of "a clear and present danger" of an imminent famine in the war-torn country -- much bigger than anything any professional in the humanitarian field has encountered during their working lives.
About 14 million Yemenis, or half the total population of the country, face pre-famine conditions, he told the UN Security Council.
