- According to the UN, negotiations on an extended ceasefire in Yemen have failed for the time being.
- A military alliance led by Saudi Arabia is fighting alongside the Yemeni government against the Houthi rebels who control large parts of the north.
The conflict in Yemen could now intensify again after relatively quiet months. Aid organizations sounded the alarm. “An extended and expanded ceasefire would have given the population decisive advantages,” said UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg.
The ceasefire between the government and the Houthis came into effect in early April for an initial period of two months and was extended in June and August.
Legend:
Hans Grundberg is the UN Special Envoy for Yemen.
Keystone-SDA/EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
There had been no ceasefire in Yemen since 2016. Significantly less violence and fewer civilian casualties have been registered since April. Grundberg had tried to get an extension of six months this time and to attach additional conditions. Among other things, it is about the opening of important roads in Tais in the south-west, about means of military de-escalation and about the release of prisoners.
Houthis reject proposals
The hope was also to turn the ceasefire into a permanent ceasefire. Sunday’s development was “deeply disappointing,” said the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), which is very active in Yemen. It is a “missed opportunity” to help civilians.
The Houthi rebels rejected proposals for an extension on Sunday because they “did not initiate a peace process”. The Houthi Supreme Council said after a meeting in the capital Sanaa that the proposal did not meet the demands of the insurgents. The government said on Saturday that it had received the proposal and wanted to “treat it positively”.