GENEVA - The UN Secretary-General Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail OuldCheikh Ahmed, announced here on Tuesday the start of a cessation of hostilities in Yemen, saying it is a critical first step toward building a lasting peace in the country.

Meanwhile, UN-sponsored peace talks attended by major parties of the Yemen conflict kicked off in Switzerland, seeking to establish a permanent ceasefire and pave the way for a peaceful and orderly political transition.

The special envoy has decided that the venue of the meeting will not be made public, in order to "give the talks every chance of success."

The talks are expected to last all week, but the time frame remains flexible, according to a press briefing of the Special Envoy Office.

Since March of this year, more than 6,000 people have reportedly been killed in Yemen in ground battles and airstrikes, half of them civilians.(Xinhua)