United Nations envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, declared on Thursday that he is doubling his efforts to bridge the divide between the warring parties, stressing that there was an opportunity to achieve peace after five years of war in the country. “An opportunity has emerged to bring peace to Yemen,” he told a UN Security Council briefing. “This opportunity has come as the country faces some of its toughest days. Military escalations have continued on several fronts for three months.” “The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic to Yemen threatens to bring deeper and more widespread suffering to the people. There cannot be a timelier moment for the two parties to commit to silencing the guns and ending the conflict through a peaceful, political solution,” he added. “The threat of COVID-19 has galvanized the effort towards peace among Yemenis as well as the international community. On March 25, the UN Secretary-General made an urgent appeal for an immediate end to hostilities in Yemen, and for the parties to focus on reaching a negotiated political settlement and doing everything possible to counter COVID‑19,” continued the envoy. The Yemen government immediately welcomed the call, as did the Iran-backed Houthi militias, he noted. “Indeed, I have been struck by how consistent and clear the message has come across over the past several weeks from people across Yemen: they want this war to end and they want their leaders to agree to resolve their differences through dialogue and negotiation,” Griffiths said. On April 8, the Saudi-led Arab coalition announced a unilateral ceasefire for an initial period of two weeks. The explicit aim of this ceasefire was and is to create a conducive environment for the success of UN-led efforts, those efforts signaled by UN chief Antonio Guterres. Griffiths expressed his gratitude to the coalition and the leadership of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, for this positive initiative. “It is a clear sign of commitment to a peaceful, political solution to the conflict and indeed to supporting the efforts of United Nations to that end in Yemen,” he remarked. “All eyes are now on the parties to the conflict. This is the time for hard decisions. None of us should underestimate the demands that are placed upon the leadership of both parties,” he stressed. “I know from all my meetings with President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi over the two years that I had the privilege in this assignment that his focus is on what is best for the future of his country.” Moreover, the envoy elaborated on his ceasefire proposals to the two parties: “The first on a nationwide ceasefire agreement. The second on key humanitarian and economic measures, which may include: releases of prisoners and detainees; opening Sanaa International Airport; paying civil servant salaries; opening access roads; and ensuring the entry of ships carrying essential commodities into Hodeidah ports, all of which, all these measures will help directly and indirectly in the fight against COVID-19. And my third proposal provides for the urgent resumption of the political process.” “Over the past two weeks or more, since then, I have been in constant negotiations with the parties on the texts of these agreements, on the detail, on the wording of these agreements. We expect them to agree on and formally adopt these agreements in the immediate future,” he revealed.