Yemen, Saudi Agree to 5-Day Ceasefire To Give Way To Humanitarian Aid
Camille Harthy | | May 11, 2015 07:44 AM EDT |
(Photo : Reuters) Houthi fighters walk as smoke rises from a military supply post after it was hit by an air strike in Yemen's northwestern city.
After over six weeks of airstrikes in Yemen, between Shiite rebels and a Saudi-led coalition, both parties have agreed to a five-day ceasefire, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Sharaf Luqman, the spokesman of the Middle Eastern country's rebel-controlled military, said the truce will give way for humanitarian aid. State Saba news agency added that Luqman warned that any violations of the ceasefire will warrant a military response.
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The ceasefire, announced by Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, is scheduled to begin May 12.
Wall Street Journal noted that the airstrikes against the Houthi rebels, believed to have ties to Iran, began on March 26. The Saudi-led coalition initiated the strikes to return exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi back to governance.
The Yemen government has been controlled by the Houthis since February, the report said.
During the ceasire, international aid agencies will deliver food and medical supplies to the affected communities throughout Yemen. It is reported that the airstrikes' damages have made air drops "nearly impossible."
According to the United Nations, an estimated 300,000 people have left their homes while over 1,400 people have been killed since the conflict began.
The United Nations' humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, Johannes Van Der Klaauw, said that the Houthis' northern base in the Saada province is believed to be violating international humanitarian law. USA Today reported the next day that the Houthis said in its statement that it will urge a dialogue again with Saudi to resolve the issue.
As of May 10, airstrikes continued in the Yemen capital of Sana'a, said to be aimed at the house of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Saleh, who also called for a return to dialogue, said that Yemenis should remain strong and steadfast but also wary of spies that might be near them, citing a television broadcast after the attack in Sana'a.
Tagsyemen, Yemen rebels, ceasefire
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