CRI听力:Yemen Is 'Disintegrating': UN Chief

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is warning Yemen is disintegrating into chaos.

The comments come amid word al-Qaeda-linked fighters have taken control of a large army base in southern Yemen.

"Yemen is collapsing before our eyes. We cannot stand by and watch. The country is facing multiple challenges. We must do everything possible to help Yemen step back from the brink and get the political process back on track."

Al-Qaeda and other Sunni militants have been stepping up their attacks since their rival, Iranian-backed Shiite Houthi fighters seized the capital, Sana'a, in September and started expanding across the country.

The Houthi insurgency has forced Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi and his government to resign.

The United States, along with Britain and France, have closed their embassies in Yemen, citing security concerns.

China is not following suit.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.

"The Chinese embassy in Yemen currently has no plan to close or withdraw. The Chinese diplomats are still staying on their posts and providing any possible and necessary assistance to Chinese organizations and people in Yemen."

Al-Qaeda has maintained a significant presence in Yemen for well over a decade.

The group and its supporters control a number of areas in the southern part of the country.