Saudi-led coalition lifts more restrictions on Yemen’s imports

A Saudi Arabian-led military coalition lifted eight-year-old restrictions on imports headed for Yemen’s southern ports, the internationally recognised authorities said, in a sign that peace talks are progressing with the Houthi group in the north.
This follows the easing of restrictions in February on commercial goods entering the Houthi-held western port of Hodeidah, the country’s main seaport, as Yemen’s warring sides work to reinstate an expired U.N.-brokered truce deal.
The Saudi-backed government based in the south said in a statement late on Thursday that commercial ships would be allowed to dock directly in southern ports, including Aden, and all goods would be cleared, with some exceptions.
Abu Bakr Adeed, deputy head of Yemen’s Chambers of Commerce, told Reuters ships would not have to stop at the Saudi Red Sea port of Jeddah for security checks for the first time since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015.