Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry held a meeting with his Yemeni counterpart Abdulmalik Al-Mekhlafi in Cairo on Monday, in which both discussed bilateral relations and solutions for Yemeni crisis, said FM spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid in an official statement. Shoukry expressed Egypt's continuous support to the unity and stability of Yemen, asserting that there is no military solution for the ongoing crisis, instead a comprehensive political settlement is needed, the statement reads. Shoukry has also stressed Egypt's support for recent efforts made by the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh, towards attaining a peace settlement by urging all sides to return to negotiations, and to deal positively in attempying to resolve initiatives, Abu Zeid added. From his side, Al-Mekhlafi tackled different topics in the meeting, including the latest political and security developments in Yemen, as well as the situation of Yemenis living in Egypt. The Yemeni minister has also praised Egypt's role in supporting Yemen on various occasions in the international arena. During the UN general assembly in September, Shoukry addressed the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen with the United Nations and the International Crisis Group (ICG) top officials, highlighting the need to boost aid efforts for the Yemeni people, who are facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. The Yemeni civil war broke out in September 2014 when rebels of the Houthi movement, who are Zaydi Shia, seized the capital Sanaa from the country's government under then-president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. The conflict has pit Hadi's government and the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis, who are allied with former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Since March 2015, more than 8,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the conflict. Close to 2,000 Yemenis have also died of cholera since April and another 600,000 are expected to contract the infection this year.
