Updated at 1.08pm

The US is calling for an end to Yemen's three year war, pressing for the start of UN-backed peace negotiations next month.

Washington currently supports the Saudi-backed coalition in Yemen, by refueling its jets and provides training.

However, previous attempts to end US support for the Saudi campaign have been killed in the Senate.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that missile and drone strikes by Iran-allied rebels and air strikes on populated areas by a Saudi-backed coalition must stop to alleviate one of the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Three quarters of Yemen's population are in need of aid, and more than 8 million people are on the brink of starvation.

Its civil war pits the Houthi rebels against the internationally recognised Yemeni government, that's backed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the West.

Pompeo said - quote - "the time is now for the cessation of hostilities".

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis also lent support to the motion, saying on Tuesday that the Saudis and Emiratis appeared ready to negotiate a solution to the conflict.

He added all sides need to take steps toward a ceasefire within the next 30 days.

The Norwegian Refugee Council welcomed Mattis' calls, saying it could prove to be a political breakthrough. 

"It must be promptly followed by a political solution where all actors involved finally sit down and agree on an end to four years of hell for Yemeni women, men and children," the NRC's regional director Nigel Tricks said. 

"Now is the time for key holders UK, France and Iran to step up and follow this vital step taken by the US. This war must end.”