Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed

The United Nations' humanitarian chief says that if the warring parties in Yemen do not reach a peace agreement soon, the country could collapse with menacing consequences for the entire region, while the U.N. envoy for Yemen said both parties in the conflict had rejected his peace plan but he would return back to try to clinch a peace deal in the coming weeks.

Yemen's warring parties resumed face-to-face peace talks on May 4, after a three-day break triggered by a walkout by the government delegation, the United Nations said.

It is only the second round of face-to-face talks in the hard-won negotiations to end a devastating conflict that has killed more than 6,400 people and displaced 2.8 million since March last year.

Yemen's warring factions will come together for the first time in Geneva June 15 in a bid to resolve the bloody conflict between Iran-backed Shiite rebels and the government of exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

Saudi-led coalition air strikes resumed against rebel positions in Yemen's south after a five-day ceasefire expired late May 18, despite a UN envoy's calls for an extension of the truce.

The UN peace envoy to Yemen, Jamal Benomar, has resigned, the UN said April 15, after losing support from Gulf countries for his mission in the conflict-riven nation.
     
The Moroccan diplomat had been UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special envoy for Yemen since 2012.