Eliasson, speaking to a Geneva news conference after talks in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran, called for both Houthi fighters and the supporters of fugitive Yemeni former President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to attend the talks without pre-conditions.

"We have been disappointed before, Geneva talks started but not much came out of it," he added, Reuters reported.

Eliasson, noting that a UN verification mechanism to inspect commercial ships heading to Yemen was in place, said the United Nations was in talks on ending the Saudi-led blockade of Yemen and opening more ports in Yemen to allow in fuel and other supplies.