Hopes for an end to Yemen’s long and devastating war have begun to intensify following the ceasefire negotiated by the UN.
The airport in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, had a festive occasion today when the first commercial flight in nearly six years was able to taxi along the runway and take off on a journey to Amman, Jordan.
In hot weather, the sides of the plane steamed from the water jets as it was sprayed on top of it in a traditional festive ceremony as the plane arrived on the field from the southern port city of Aden.
The Yemeni airline carried about 150 passengers. Among them were many sick and wounded seeking hospital treatment amid the bombing of the seven-year-long civil war and the Saudi-led alliance.
– We have been waiting for this opportunity for three years. I’m trying to get my father taken care of because he can’t stand land transport because of his poor health, he said. Ismail al-Wazan in the airport waiting hall.
The UN succeeded in ceasefire negotiations
Under the auspices of the UN, a two-month ceasefire was negotiated in early April in Yemen, which has largely lasted.
At the time, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg stated that the agreement is extensive. The parties agree to suspend all military air, ground and naval operations in Yemen and its borders. As part of a ceasefire, the capital Sanaa Airport has now partially opened.
– We are living in the most peaceful period of the war, said a spokesman for the US National Security Council Adrianne Watson, while he thanked Saudi Arabia for its commitment to the ceasefire.
Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when Iranian-backed huthi rebels captured the capital, Sanaa, and forced the government to resign. President of Yemen Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi fled to Saudi Arabia.
As early as 2015, with the support of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia assembled an alliance of several states, and launched devastating bombings to defeat the Huthi rebels.
To date, the war has not been resolved by a winner. Instead, the result has been the plight of an already impoverished state, described by the UN and international aid organizations as one of the greatest human suffering.
The UN estimates that 150,000 people have died in the fighting and that millions have fled their homes.
The time may be ripe for the end of the war
The future of Yemen now promises more than a ceasefire that began in early April.
Just five days after the fighting ended, President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi transferred his authority to the Presidential Council, which is tasked with conducting peace talks with the Huthi.
A couple of weeks later, the exiled parliament held a change of power ceremony in Aden, Yemen.
According to observers, the transfer of power has largely been built under the leadership of Saudi Arabia, which has long tried to get rid of the costly and unpopular war it started.
In addition to the airport, road connections will also be opened
The ceasefire agreement allows for the opening of two return flights a week from Sanaa. In addition to Amman, Jordan, another connection will open to Cairo, Egypt.
In order to secure the operation of the airport in Yemen, a road connection should be opened from the port of Hodeida to the airport in the capital Sanaa.
Securing the transport of fuel and opening up the road and the airport are vital so that humanitarian aid can finally begin to flow regularly around Yemen.