Yemen: The ceasefire agreement is extended until October

The UN announced on Tuesday the extension, at the last minute, for “two additional months” of the ceasefire in force in Yemen, expressing the hope that negotiations will be “intensified” that will allow for a more “lasting” peace in the Arab world’s poorest country. where an armed conflict has been raging for some eight years.

Facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, Yemen has been torn apart by war between government forces, backed by a post-2015 Saudi-led military alliance, and Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels. Riyadh’s great rival in the region.

“I am pleased to announce that the parties have agreed to extend the ceasefire, under the same conditions, for two additional months, from 2 August 2022 to 2 October 2022,” said the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grudberg.

The agreement “includes a commitment by the parties to intensify negotiations to reach a more expanded ceasefire agreement as soon as possible,” Mr. Grudberg said in a press release released by the Organization.

According to him, talks are underway through the UN “to consolidate the opportunity offered by the truce so that (Yemen) can move towards lasting peace”.

US President Joe Biden welcomed the extension of the ceasefire and the “unprecedented period of calm” in Yemen, according to a White House press release.

On April 2, a two-month ceasefire was declared in Yemen, then extended for an equal period on June 2, offering civilians a —rare— respite. As in June, the announcement of the renewal of the ceasefire was made at the last minute, on the day it was supposed to expire.

“The main purpose of the current ceasefire remains to provide tangible relief to civilians and to create an environment conducive to a peaceful resolution of the conflict through a comprehensive political process,” Hans Grudberg said.

The European Union welcomed the extension of the truce in a statement on Tuesday and called on the protagonists to continue to respect it and to work for the resumption of peace negotiations under the auspices of the UN in order to resolve the conflict.

According to UN estimates, the war in Yemen has killed hundreds of thousands of people and uprooted millions; two-thirds of the country’s population (≈30 million) are in need of humanitarian aid as they face the risk of widespread famine.

Intensification of efforts

On Monday, Yemeni and international humanitarian organizations called for the ceasefire to be extended for a longer period of “six months or more”.

They explained that the truce over the past four months has allowed the number of civilian casualties to be “significantly” reduced and the supply of fuel to be facilitated and thus the “good functioning of public services”.

The ceasefire is generally being observed in the field, despite sporadic violations, according to NGOs including Action Against Hunger, Handicap International, Doctors of the World, Oxfam and Save the Children.

The opposing sides have repeatedly accused each other of violations. Yesterday Tuesday, the UN special envoy promised to intensify his efforts to “ensure the full implementation of all the parties’ obligations to the ceasefire agreement”.

Among these obligations are in particular the thorny issue of paying salaries to public officials, opening roads that are blocked, such as in the Houthi-besieged city of Taiz, increasing flights to and from the international airport in the capital Sanaa (north), as previously closed to civilian aircraft for about six years, as well as more regular refueling at ports in Hodaida (west).

The announcement of the ceasefire extension came as the flow of humanitarian aid to Yemen has dwindled. In late June, the UN’s World Food Program (WFP) announced further reductions in the aid it distributes, due to chronic underfunding, inflation and the impact of the war in Ukraine.

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