Yemen’s warring parties commit to ceasefire steps

The Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Iran-aligned Houthis have both committed to steps towards a ceasefire, the U.N. special envoy for Yemen said on
Saturday.
The Houthis, which control north Yemen, have been fighting against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and left 80% of Yemen’s population dependent on humanitarian aid.
The U.N. special envoy, Hans Grundberg, in a statement issued by his office said he “welcomes the parties’ commitment to a set of measures to implement a nation-wide ceasefire, improve living conditions in Yemen, and engage in preparations for the resumption of an inclusive political process under UN
auspices.”
Grundberg “will now engage with the parties to establish a roadmap under UN auspices that includes these commitments and supports their implementation”, the statement said.
The roadmap, along with a ceasefire, will also include the two sides’ commitment to resume oil exports, pay all public sector salaries, open roads in Taiz and other parts of Yemen, and “further ease restrictions on Sanaa Airport and the Hudaydah port,” the statement said.
The Saudi-led military coalition intervened more than eight years ago against the Houthi movement after it ousted Yemen’s internationally recognised, Saudi-backed government from Sanaa, the capital, in 2014.