Yemen ceasefire, peace talks begin as humanitarian crisis worsens

BERN, Switzerland, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The Yemeni government, and the Houthi rebels and their allies began peace negotiations in Switzerland on Tuesday after a week-long ceasefire came into effect.

The peace talks are backed by the United Nations and are being held in the Swiss city of Biel. The UN aims to find a "durable settlement" between the government and rebel movement to end the Yemeni crisis.

At least 5,700 people have died, nearly half of which civilians, since a pro-government coalition led by Saudi Arabia began a military campaign against the rebels in March after Houthis seized the city of Sanaa and began to advance to Aden.

About 21 million of Yemen's population of 24 million require aid as the humanitarian situation in the country has continued to deteriorate for months. The ceasefire, if maintained, will allow millions of Yemenis to receive aid.

"The cessation of hostilities which was called today should mark the end of military violence in Yemen and the transition to progress based on negotiations, dialogue and consensus," U.N. special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said in a statement, adding that peace is a prerequisite for rebuilding Yemen.

Ahmed is mediating the peace talks and called the ceasefire a "first step towards building lasting peace."

The talks are joined by representatives of Yemeni President Abdu Rabbo Mansour Hadi, the Houthi rebels and the General People's Congress party of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh -- Yemeni security force loyalists to Saleh that have backed the rebels.