United Nations (UN) is pressing the warring parties in Yemen to agree to a six-month extension of the truce, which expires on Tuesday, August 2.
The United Nations envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, is working to address the complaints of the two sides’ before they agree to an additional renewal of the two-month-old truce, which first took effect in April, Reuters reported.
If an agreement is reached, the six-month extension will be the biggest step so far in the UN process toward resolving the conflict.
As per media reports, Grundberg in the coming days will travel to the Sultanate of Oman, where the chief Houthi negotiator is based, and to the port city of Aden in southern Yemen, where the Saudi-backed government is based, for talks.
Ismini Palla, spokesperson of Grundberg’s office told Reuters that the UN envoy has been discussing with the parties the renewal of the current truce, including the possibility of extending it for a longer period but “cannot discuss details at this time.”
On Monday, July 18, representatives from the United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman held virtual talks to discuss the extension of the truce.
The Houthi group announced, on Saturday evening, its refusal to extend the UN truce in Yemen, considering it a “shocking and disappointing experience.”
A statement issued by the Houthi Supreme Political Council deplored “talking about understandings about extending the ongoing truce in the country.”
The statement stated that “the truce, which the side of the aggression did not abide by the implementation of its terms, represented a shocking and disappointing experience, and it cannot be repeated in the future.”
A truce was agreed upon in early April, and it was scheduled to extend for two months before being extended in the hope of reaching the start of a political dialogue to end the eight-year war.
International and regional parties hope that the current truce will pave the way for a political solution to the war that has killed more than 376,000, the majority of whom are civilians, and put more than 16 million others on the brink of starvation.
The truce includes a ceasefire, in addition to allowing oil derivatives to enter the port of Hodeidah, inaugurating two weekly commercial flights from Sanaa airport, in addition to opening roads in Taiz and other governorates. All of these items have been implemented except for the last one.
Yemen is witnessing an ongoing war between forces loyal to the legitimate government, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, and the Iranian-backed Houthis, who have controlled governorates, including Sanaa, since September 2014.
