Houthi rebels and the warring Yemeni government have committed to a new ceasefire and agreed to the start of a peace process to end the conflict. This was announced on Saturday December 23 by the United Nations special envoy on this issue, after numerous meetings in Saudi Arabia and Oman.
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With our correspondent in Washington, Loubna Anaki
For the United Nations special envoy to Yemen, this is an important step forward. Hans Grundberg welcomed yesterday by announcing that the Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government had committed to respecting a new ceasefire and relaunching a political process to end the conflict, for lasting peace, Hans said Grundberg after a series of discussions and negotiations in Saudi Arabia and Oman.
This announcement comes as Yemen is experiencing its 8th year of war pitting the Iran-backed Houthis against the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.
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The conflict in Yemen has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced, plunging Yemen into a very serious humanitarian crisis.
With this new agreement in principle, the rebels and the government commit to reopening roads to facilitate travel, paying civil servants’ salaries and resuming oil exports.
The announcements also come as the Houthis occupy the international stage with their repeated attacks on merchant ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Operations which, according to them, aim to support the Palestinians in Gaza in the face of Israeli bombings.
رحب المبعوث الخاص للأمين العام إلى اليمن هانس غروندبرغ بتوصل الأطر اف للالتزام بمجموعة من التدابير تشمل تنفيذ وقف إطلاق نار يشمل عموم ال يمن، وإجراءات لتحسين الظروف المعيشية في اليمن، والانخراط في استعداد ات لاستئناف عملية سياسية جامعة تحت رعاية الأمم المتحدة.
— @OSE_Yemen (@OSE_Yemen) December 23, 2023
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