The United Nations announced a two-month truce in Yemen that the warring parties have agreed to. The truce, which kicks off today on the eve of Ramadan, is the first country-wide truce since 2016 and the parties agreed that it can be extended.
Hans Grundberg announced the agreement from Amman, Jordan, after meeting separately with both sides in the country’s brutal civil war. He said he hoped the truce would be renewed after two months.
“The parties accepted to halt all offensive military air, ground and maritime operations inside Yemen and across its borders; they also agreed for fuel ships to enter into Hodeidah ports and commercial flights to operate in and out of Sanaa airport to predetermined destinations in the region,” he said in a statement.
The last couple of months witnessed the highest escalation since the war broke out with both Houthis and the Saudi-backed government gaining and losing new areas but now, there seems to be an appetite from both sides for much-needed relief.
“We immediately announce the release of the first two fuel ships through Hodeidah port,” Foreign Minister Ahmed Bin Mubarak said on Twitter while Mohammed Abdel-Salam, the spokesman and chief negotiator of the Houthis, welcomed the truce.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all sides to implement the agreement as soon as possible.
