Yemen demands UN action over Houthi violations in Taiz

Foreign Minister Abdulmalek al-Mikhlafi said proposals were submitted to the UN envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, demanding the implementation of the April 11 ceasefire in Taiz - Yemen's third largest city and the target of rebel shelling in recent months.

Mikhlafi warned that the frequent Houthi attacks on the city under siege would "have serious consequences on the peace process", unless the international community mediated to bring a halt to the ongoing violations of an already fragile ceasefire.

Rebel forces, as well as those loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh have attacked civillians in Taiz, the minister insisted.

Meanwhile, rights groups voiced deep concern over violations of the ceasefire by rebels and their allies, as well as on the side of the government, supported by the Saudi-led military coalition.

Human Rights Watch urged all parties to "support international investigations, transitional justice and victim compensation as key elements of any agreement".

"The armed conflict in Yemen has been characterised by numerous violations of the laws of war by all sides, which have not been investigated nor have resulted in any redress for victims of unlawful attacks," the watchdog said on Wednesday.

It accused the Saudi-led coalition of launching "indiscriminate airstrikes" on civilian areas.

"A mechanism should be put in place to investigate abuses, prosecute those responsible and assist the victims," urged Human Rights Watch's Middle East director Joe Stork.

"It's crucial for the Yemen peace talks to address past atrocities as well as future political arrangements."

Houthis captured Taiz - a city located between the rebel-held capital Sanaa and the southern port city of Aden - several months ago, cutting off all roads and blocking humanitarian access for the estimated 200,000 residents.

But pro-government forces made substantial gains when they broke through the siege following battles that left dozens dead.

Despite commencing peace talks in Kuwait, repeated allegations of truce violations have proven to be stumbling blocks to negotiations.

On Sunday, the government delegation withdrew from the talks when Houthis overran a pro-government base in the northern mountains.

But the talks resumed on Wednesday after the warring factions agreed to form a committee to look into the attack on the military base in the Amran governorate.

More than 6,400 people have died - half of them civilians -since the Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes on Yemen in March 2015, according to the United Nations.

The Kuwait-based peace talks are the latest UN-brokered effort to resolve the conflict.