WASHINGTON - The U.S. State Department said on Thursday that "some hopeful progress" has been made toward a ceasefire in Yemen, but more commitment was needed from the parties to the civil war.

The comments were in a statement on a just-concluded visit to the region by Timothy Lenderking, the U.S. special envoy for Yemen, aimed at bolstering U.N.-led efforts to end the conflict and stem a growing humanitarian disaster.