The head of Yemen"s new presidential council Rashad Al-Alimi called on Sunday for talks with officials from across the wider Arab region and the world over reconstruction efforts in his country, saying Yemen is in the throes of a "humanitarian crisis." The longer the Yemeni conflict persists, the "graver threat" it will continue to pose to the entire region, he told a meeting in the Egyptian capital on a level of permanent envoys to the Arab League. He excoriated Yemen"s Iran-allied Houthi group for reneging on their commitments towards UN laws and conventions, praising an Arab League resolution that calls for the designation of the Houthis as a "terrorist group." The Yemeni official went on to underline his council"s repeated calls for an end to the violence, pinpointing the mounting economic challenges in war-torn Yemen as the biggest impediment to national reconstruction and development. A political solution to the conflict is the only surefire way to put an end to the violence, according to Arab League chief Ahmad AbulGheit, saying it was imperative to "act urgently" to mitigate the misery of the Yemeni people. Amid talks with the Yemeni council presidential chief, the regional bloc"s secretary general shored up support for the eight-member body in its efforts to manage the war-battered country, an Arab League statement said. — Agencies