The Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, stressed on Tuesday evening the importance of extending the humanitarian truce in Yemen for longer periods of time.

Grundberg stressed that this provides an opportunity for Yemenis to make progress on a larger scale that accommodates priorities and provides space for preparation to move towards comprehensive political negotiations, including a nationwide ceasefire.

This came in a statement published by the office of the UN envoy at the conclusion of his visit to Riyadh and Muscat.

"We are standing at a crossroads where the danger of a return to war has become real," the statement quoted Grundberg as saying.

He urged the parties to choose an alternative approach that prioritizes the needs of the Yemeni people.

According to the statement, the UN envoy met with the head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, in the city of Riyadh to discuss ongoing efforts to implement and extend the armistice.

Grundberg briefed President Al-Alimi on the latest developments and the armistice proposal submitted by the United Nations was discussed.

During his visit to Riyadh, the Special Envoy also met with senior Saudi officials who expressed Saudi Arabia's strong support for the United Nations' efforts to extend the armistice in Yemen in order to reach a comprehensive ceasefire and a lasting political settlement, according to the statement.

In Muscat, the UN envoy met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, Badr Al Busaidi, and a number of senior Omani officials.

During his meeting, he praised the Sultanate of Oman's vital role in supporting the efforts of the United Nations.

Grundberg also met, according to the statement, with the chief negotiator of the Houthi group, where the United Nations proposal to extend and expand the agreement beyond October 2, 2022 was discussed.