Fragile truce in Yemen formally ends

SANAA, Yemen — The truce in Yemen between Shiite rebels and a Saudi-led military coalition formally ended Saturday, according to Saudi Arabia’s state-run news agency.

The truce went into effect on Dec. 15 as a mutual show of good faith during peace negotiations in Switzerland.

But it never truly took hold on the ground in Yemen, with both sides ignoring it. The United Nations said on Dec. 20 there were “numerous violations” of the cease-fire agreement from the very start.

Yemen’s conflict pits the internationally recognized government backed by a Saudi-led, U.S.-supported coalition against the rebels, known as Houthis, who are allied with a former president. Local affiliates of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have also exploited Yemen’s chaos to grab land and exercise influence.

According to U.N. figures, the war in Yemen has killed at least 5,884 people since March, when fighting escalated after the Saudi-led coalition began launching airstrikes targeting the rebels.

In Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, independent security officials said 14 civilians, including four children, had been killed since Friday by shelling from the rebels, who have the city under siege. The Houthis have been indiscriminately shelling the city and blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid for months, according to residents and aid groups.