International monitors to be deployed in Hodeidah
Saudi Arabia hails the accord reached at Un-brokered peace talks in Sweden between Yemen’s warring parties; UN envoy says ‘robust monitoring regime’ urgently needed in Yemen
UNITED NATIONS: UN special envoy Martin Griffiths on Friday urged the creation of a “robust and competent monitoring regime” in war-ravaged Yemen, one day after fighting parties agreed to a ceasefire at a vital port.
“A robust and competent monitoring regime is not just essential. It is also urgently needed,” Griffiths told the Security Council, adding that “allowing the UN the lead role in the ports is the vital first step.” If implemented, the deal on Hodeida port, a key gateway for aid and food imports, could bring relief to a country where 14 million people stand on the brink of famine.
Yemenis dared to hope on Friday that a ceasefire agreed in the contested port city of Hodeidah might bring a permanent end to fighting that has driven many from their homes and into an existential struggle for food and medical care.
At talks in Sweden on Thursday, the Houthis and the coalition-backed government of President Abd-rabbu Mansour Hadi agreed to stop fighting in Hodeidah and withdraw forces.
It was a breakthrough for Un-led efforts to end the war that has killed tens of thousands of people and caused the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Saudi Arabia, which leads a military coalition backing Yemen’s government, on Friday hailed the accord reached at Un-brokered peace talks in Sweden between Yemen’s warring parties.
In a statement by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the kingdom backed “the agreements reached in Sweden in Un-sponsored talks between a delegation of Yemen’s legitimate government and the Houthi rebels”, the official SPA news agency reported.
“The kingdom remains engaged in the search for a political solution in Yemen which guarantees the security and stability of the country,” the statement said.
The statement also called on the Iran-aligned Houthis to “embark on this path” towards a political solution.
Yemen’s warring parties on Thursday agreed to a ceasefire on a vital port in a series of breakthroughs in the talks.
Akram Ateeq, 31, used to support his mother, wife and child by selling fish near Hodeidah harbour but has been unable to work for six months due to battles on the outskirts of the city.
“We are happy there will be a halt to the war. We have no jobs and are living on aid. We need help,” he told Reuters.
Residents reported lingering skirmishes on the northern and eastern edges of the city on Thursday night but said Hodeidah was calm by Friday morning. Streets were largely empty at the start of the weekend.
“We are happy about the ceasefire but are worried that the fighters will not abide by it,” said teacher Iman Azzi, in her 50s. “The war has destroyed us. We want to live.” Youssef Abdo Ali, 44, has been struggling to feed his nine children since seeking refuge in Hodeidah. “The war has wiped out everything,” he said.
UN envoy Martin Griffiths, who secured Thursday’s deal after a week of peace talks in Sweden, the first in over two years, said both parties would withdraw “within days” from the port, a major entry point for most of Yemen’s commercial imports and aid supplies, and later from the city as a whole.
International monitors are to be deployed and armed forces would pull back completely within 21 days.
The warring parties are due to discuss a political framework for peace negotiations at a second round of talks in January.