FILE PHOTO: A look at the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen May 10, 2017. REUTERS/Abduljabbar Zeyad/File Photo
Yemen’s warring parties had agreed to renew an existing ceasefire for another two months, the United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg announced on August 2.
In a statement, Grundberg said that the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Houthis (Ansar Allah) had agreed to extend the ceasefire, which first entered into effect on April 2 and was renewed for the first time on June 2.
“I am pleased to announce that the parties have agreed to extend the truce, under the same terms, for an additional two months, from 2 August 2022 until 2 October 2022,” Grundberg said. “This truce extension includes a commitment from the parties to intensify negotiations to reach an expanded truce agreement as soon as possible.”
The ceasefire was the first nationwide halt of fighting in the Yemeni war since 2015, when the Saudi-led coalition intervened to thwart a rebellion by the Houthis and their allies.
Under the UN-sponsored ceasefire agreement, the Houthis suspended their military operations inside Yemen as well as their missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia. From its side, the Saudi-led coalition halted its all of its military operations in Yemen, including aerial attacks, and allowed fuel ships to enter al-Hudaydah port and select flights to land at Sanaa International Airport.
Several violations by the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis have been reported since the ceasefire entered into effect. Nevertheless, Yemen didn’t experience any major military operations and civilian casualties dropped significantly.
Grundberg was pushing for a six-month ceasefire with additional measures, according to the Reuters news agency. However, both the government and the Houthis had grievances about the implementation of the existing ceasefire agreement.
The enwall of the UN-sponsored ceasefire has been welcomed by many international sides, including the US. The ceasefire will likely continue to be a success. Still, a political settlement between the Yemeni government and the Houthis appears to be out of reach.
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