(VOVworld) - A new round of peace talks between Yemen’s warring sides should begin by the end of May, the UN mediator said Wednesday, as concern grows over the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at an event in Washington, DC on April 21, 2017. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed told media at Yemen’s Red Sea Port of Hodeida that negotiations are underway to stave off a feared military attack on Hodeida. He said he hopes the negotiations will lead to a cease-fire.

Ahmed said averting an attack on Hodeida, the main entry point for desperately needed aid to Yemen, could allow a real cessation of hostilities and a return to previous talks.