Sisi says Egypt will continue to back Yemen peace process

Yemen's defence minister met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi on Monday, with Cairo reiterating its backing for a Yemen peace deal.

In his meeting with Yemen's Lieutenant-General Mohamed Ali Al-Maqdashi, Egypt's president said he hoped for a political solution in the country, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.

The Yemeni defence minister praised ongoing military and security cooperation between the two countries, particularly at military and security levels, the statement read.

As part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, Egypt has participated in the war against the Houthi rebels, who are currently escalating its offensive on Marib, the final bastion of the internationally recognised government in north Yemen.

The Yemeni government and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels are hashing out the terms of a peace deal, but it has yet to be finalised.

The conflict in Yemen has left 24.1 million people, 80 percent of the population, in need of humanitarian aid and protection, according to the UN.

Over 14 million people are in acute need and over three million have been displaced from their homes since 2015, the country's first full year under a civil war, the UN said.