U.N. Yemen envoy 'extremely concerned' by military escalation

U.N. envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths speaks to reporters during his departure at Sanaa airport in Sanaa, Yemen June 5, 2018. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, called on the warring sides on Wednesday to avoid a battle for the port city of Hodeidah and return to the negotiating table.

"I am extremely concerned about military escalation in #Hodeida & their humanitarian & political impact," he said in a tweet. "We're in contact with parties to avoid further escalation. We call on them to exercise restraint & engage with political efforts to spare Hodeida a military confrontation."

(Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Andrew Heavens)