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UN brokers extension of Yemen ceasefire — Analysis

A four month truce was extended to October by the UN, in hopes of reaching a peace agreement.

With just hours left on the clock, the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government have agreed to extend the Yemen ceasefire – which has mostly held since April – by another two months. On Tuesday, UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg stated that the ceasefire was set to end in October. It is the longest-running ceasefire since 2015, which has devasted the Arabian Peninsula’s tip.

The two warring sides “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. 

He made his statement just hours after Oman’s delegation had completed three days in Sanaa meeting with Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, and other leaders from the Houthi rebels. They have ruled the Yemeni capital ever since 2014. Grundberg singled Oman out and Saudi Arabia as examples of their efforts to end the war.

“The main objective of the current truce continues to be to provide tangible relief to civilians and to create a conducive environment for reaching a peaceful settlement to the conflict through a comprehensive political process,” said Grundberg.

To coincide with Ramadan (the Muslim holy month), the ceasefire was initially declared April 2. It envisioned an end to any offensive military operations within and around Yemen. Saudis and allies had to open the port at Hodeidah while Houthis needed to unlock the city of Taiz. Both sides accuse the other side of failing to keep their promise, but so far the truce seems to have held.


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The extended ceasefire allows for the possibility of reaching an agreement, in addition to unlocking Taiz und Hodeidah. “a transparent and effective disbursement mechanism for the regular payment of civil servant salaries and civilian pensions,”Grundberg stated that Sanaa will also be receiving more flights.

UN estimates that Yemen has lost around 400,000 lives since 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition began an air campaign to restore President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi’s power following his ouster by the Houthis. The ground fighting followed, displacing millions. Riyadh claims that Shia Muslim Houthis have been proxies to Iran. Tehran denies this claim.

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