"The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, announces today the start of a cessation of hostilities in Yemen and considers it a critical first step towards building a lasting peace in the country," the United Nation said in a statement.
Ahmed called on all parties to respect this initiative and work towards putting an end to the conflict.
"The UN sponsored consultations that start today in Switzerland, seek to establish a permanent ceasefire and pave the way for a return to a peaceful and orderly political transition," the statement read.
Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government headed by Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and Houthi rebels since early 2014.
Since late March, a Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against Houthi positions at Hadi`s request.
The United Nations estimated some 5,800 mostly civilians died since Riyadh launched its anti-Houthi campaign. Four out of five Yemenis are believed to be in need of humanitarian aid.
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