NEW YORK: The United Nations said it seeks to open the port of Hodeidah and Sanaa airport and the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement in Yemen is vital.

Speaking during a UN Security Council session, Khaled Mohamed Khiari, assistant secretary-general for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, said fighting continues in Yemen on more than one front.

He said the UN was concerned about the humanitarian situation in Marib and a fuel crisis in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said civilians, especially children, in Yemen bear the burden of war, which has caused an economic collapse.

He said Yemen’s currency is collapsing and negatively affecting the lives of Yemenis.

Griffiths called for an increase in aid from donors to avert famine in Yemen, adding that 5 million Yemenis are one step away from famine.

The former UN special envoy to Yemen said a cease-fire in the war torn country would allow for an inclusive political process.

“The war has gone on far too long and must end now,” he added.

UNICEF’s Executive Director Henrietta Fore told the Security Council that a child dies every 10 minutes in Yemen.