UN chief urges Yemen's warring sides to renew, expand expiring truce

The UN chief is strongly urging Yemen's warring parties to not only renew but expand a truce that expires on Sunday, saying it has brought the longest period of relative calm since the conflict began in 2014.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that the internationally recognised government and Houthi rebels should prioritise the national interests of the Yemeni people and choose peace for good.

His statement followed a stark warning on Tuesday from the UN envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, that the risk of a return to fighting is real.

Yemen's brutal civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen and forced the government into exile.

A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in early 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognised government to power.

The conflict has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises and over the years turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia, which backs the government