The Arab coalition’s decision to impose a two-week ceasefire on Yemen, which started midday on Thursday, was widely applauded as a critical moment to achieving lasting peace in the war-torn country.

“I am grateful to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Coalition for recognizing and acting on this critical moment for Yemen. The parties must now utilize this opportunity and cease immediately all hostilities with the utmost urgency, and make progress towards a comprehensive and sustainable peace,” Martin Griffiths, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, said in a report by state news agency SPA.

Griffiths has been negotiating with the conflicting parties to reach an agreement on a nation-wide ceasefire so that humanitarian and economic measures could be implemented to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people.

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the Arab coalition’s initiative to implement a ceasefire in Yemen was in support of Griffiths’ efforts to ‘end the conflict and focus on confronting coronavirus.’

“We hope that the Houthis would take this as an opportunity to give priority to the interests of the Yemeni people,” he said.