Riyadh: The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen announced Wednesday that its forces would begin a cease-fire, starting Thursday (today).
Col. Turki al-Malki – a Saudi military spokesman, said that the ceasefire would last two weeks and that it comes in response to U.N. calls to halt hostilities amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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According to Saudi officials, the ceasefire could be extended to pave the way for all the parties to discuss proposals, steps, and mechanisms for sustainable ceasefire and a political solution in Yemen.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on March 23, had called for a cease-fire for all global conflicts to tackle the virus pandemic.
The ceasefire announcement is the first major breakthrough since the United Nations convened the warring parties in late 2018 and they signed a cease-fire for the Red Sea port city of Hodeida.
Earlier, a ceasefire proposal was proposed by UN special envoy Martin Griffiths to all the stakeholders of Yemen War i.e. the Saudi-UAE military coalition, Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Houthi rebels fighting against them.
The proposal called for a country-wide ceasefire for the conflict that has caused more than 100,000 casualties and has pushed millions to the verge of famine triggering mass migration of Yemeni people.
