The relative respite of the Yeminites is lengthened. The UN announced Tuesday, August 2 that the truce in force since April 2 in the country would run two more months.
The poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula is devastated by the conflict between government forces, backed by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia since 2015, and Houthi rebels backed by Iran, Riyadh’s rival in the region. The parties agreed to extend the ceasefire “under the same conditions” until October 2, said the UN envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg.
This truce “includes a commitment by the parties to intensify negotiations to reach a broad truce agreement as soon as possible”, he specified. According to him, negotiations are underway through the UN “in order to consolidate the opportunity offered by the truce to move towards a lasting peace”.
One of the worst humanitarian crises in the world
On April 2, a two-month truce was observed in Yemen, then extended for the same period on June 2.
“The main objective of the current truce remains to provide tangible relief to civilians and to create an environment conducive to a peaceful resolution of the conflict through a comprehensive political process”said Hans Grundberg.
After almost eight years of war, Yemen is facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. According to the UN, the conflict has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced. Two-thirds of the population are in need of humanitarian aid, particularly in the face of the risk of large-scale famine.