The head of the United Nations opened peace talks on Yemen on Monday with a call for a humanitarian ceasefire, saying the country was on the verge of a collapse that the Middle East could not withstand.

Ban Ki-moon said the truce, called to mark the start of the holy month of Ramadan, should last for at least two weeks to allow life-saving supplies into the country.

"Today Yemen's very existence hangs in the balance. While the parties bicker, Yemen burns," Ban told reporters.

Adapted from Reuters

Photo: Reuters