The warring parties in Yemen, the government and rebel Houthis, committed to a new ceasefire and agreed to start a peace process to end the conflict, UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said today.
After a series of meetings in Saudi Arabia and Oman, Grundberg welcomed "the commitment of the parties to commit to measures aimed at implementing a nationwide ceasefire and to engage in preparations for the continuation of the UN-sponsored political process," the statement said.
Yemen, the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula, has been embroiled in an eight-year war between Houthi rebels and government forces backed by a Saudi-led military coalition since 2015. It also has support from the United Arab Emirates.
Violence has largely decreased since the UN-agreed ceasefire in April 2022. That truce expired in October, but is still more or less respected.
According to the UN statement, the agreement includes obligations to pay salaries to civil servants, open the roads to the city of Taiz that were blocked by the rebels, but also to other parts of Yemen, as well as the continuation of oil exports.
"The people of Yemen expect tangible results from the new agreement to move towards lasting peace," Grundberg said.
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