The United Nations' envoy to Yemen says the transitional government faces the huge challenge of wresting control of parts of the country from al-Qaida.
Officials said Wednesday that the situation in Yemen is highly fragile, with a number of areas in the hands of government opponents, including al-Qaida.
The officials said the political agreement that saw President Ali Abdullah Saleh hand over power to his opposition-backed deputy will fail without the cooperation of all political leaders.
President Saleh agreed last month to give up power to Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, leading the way to a new presidential election set for February 21.