Photo taken on April 4, 2020 shows the city view of Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua)

 United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called on parties concerned in Yemen to resolve their differences through an inclusive dialogue.

"The secretary-general calls on all to engage in an inclusive dialogue to resolve their differences and address the legitimate concerns of all Yemenis, including those of southern groups. He further calls on them to implement the Riyadh Agreement as well as concentrate efforts on countering the spread of COVID-19 and responding to the flooding that has affected tens of thousands of Yemenis," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres, told reporters in an email.

"The secretary-general reaffirms the need to preserve the integrity of Yemeni institutions and emphasizes that the conflict in Yemen can only be resolved through a negotiated political settlement," said Dujarric.

On Sunday, the Yemeni Southern Transitional Council (STC) declared the establishment of a self-ruled administration and a state of emergency in Aden and southern provinces.

The Saudi-led coalition called on the STC to cancel its "escalating move" and abide by the Riyadh Agreement, which was reached between the STC and the Yemeni government last year and ended months of stand-off between both sides in Aden.

As part of the Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to restore power to the government of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, the STC turned against the Yemeni government in August last year.