New Delhi: Expressing hope for resumption of political dialogue for peace and stability in war-shattered Yemen, India on Friday welcomed the declaration of ceasefire by Saudi Arabia.
The development comes over two weeks after the UN Secretary General issued a global appeal to all belligerents to down their weapons to help halt the spread of the new coronavirus.
"India welcomes the announcement of ceasefire and hopes that cessation of hostilities will lead to resumption of political dialogue leading to peace and stability in Yemen and the region. This will also help Yemen to join the global community to deal with Covid-19," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in a statement.
The coronavirus has now infected more than 1.5 million people and killed over 88,000 worldwide. To date, the pandemic has not reached Yemen, but there have been confirmed cases in Saudi Arabia.
The conflict in Yemen dates back more than five years.
In 2014, Houthi opposition forces overran the capital, Sana’a, prompting a response by an international coalition led by neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which has supporting President Hadi since March 2015.
The fighting in Yemen is widely believed to have killed tens of thousands of people and created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
