UN's Yemen envoy in Oman for ceasefire talks

The UN envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed is set to arrive in Oman's capital on Thursday to meet with a delegation of Houthi rebels to discuss potential solutions to the ongoing crisis in war-torn Yemen.

According to al-Arabiya news agency, Ahmed will propose to the Houthi delegation a 72 hour ceasefire deal, and plans for the delivery of aid to besieged areas of Yemen.

Plans are not afoot for the Houthi delegation to be accompanied in discussions in Muscat with Ahmed by representatives of Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi's internationally-recognised government.

A UN-brokered ceasefire for Yemen came into place on 10 April and was followed by peace talks between Houthis and supporters of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and representatives of the Hadi government, in Kuwait.

However, after more than three months of negotiations and countless violations of the ceasefire deal peace talks were suspended in July.

Speaking at the time Ahmed said that the UN would continue to "seek a sustainable solution to the conflict. We do not want a fragile solution".

According to the UN at least 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen's 19-month civil war.

While both sides in the ongoing conflict have been accused of committing war crimes UN statistics suggest that the Saudi-led coalition - supporting the Hadi government - are responsible for the majority of civilian casualties.