On Tuesday, United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg announced that the country’s internationally-recognised government and the Houthi rebels had agreed to extend the existing truce for another two months, including a commitment to negotiate in “good faith” for an expanded truce agreement “as soon as possible.”
In a statement, Grundberg said that the main goal of the current truce is to “provide tangible relief to civilians” and a “conducive environment” for a peaceful resolution to the crisis through a “comprehensive political process.” “The Yemeni people deserve no less,” he asserted.
UN Envoy Grundberg: "The expanded truce proposal would provide for reaching an agreement on a transparent and effective disbursement mechanism for the regular payment of civil servant salaries and civilian pensions, the opening of roads in Taiz and other governorates.”
— @OSE_Yemen (@OSE_Yemen) August 2, 2022
According to sources, though Grundberg had urged both parties to agree on a six-month extension with additional measures, they only decided for an extra two months due to the deep mistrust between them. However, both sides gave “substantive comments” for Grundberg’s proposal to achieve sustainable peace, which includes a mechanism to pay salaries to civil servants, open roads in Taiz, start flights to more destinations from Sana’a, and provide a regular supply of fuel to Hodeidah ports.
The Yemeni government welcomed the offer, emphasising the “significance” of completely implementing the truce, including a stop to all Houthi violations and “accomplishing what has not been accomplished during the past period,” specifically referring to “ending the siege on Taiz.”
Furthermore, the proposal creates an opportunity to discuss a “nationwide ceasefire, humanitarian and economic issues, and to prepare for the resumption of the Yemeni-led political process under UN auspices” for a peace deal.
Door of hope remains open for Yemen.
— Jan Egeland (@NRC_Egeland) August 2, 2022
Truly positive news that the lifesaving truce is extended for another two months. We hope it will allow for reopening of major roads, displaced people to return home safely and aid to reach hard-to-reach communities. https://t.co/RKOEm0vfpW
The extension came hours after an Omani delegation concluded a three-day discussion with the Houthi leader Abdul-Malek al-Houthi in Sana’a in support of the truce. Houthi chief negotiator and spokesperson Mohammed Abdel-Salam revealed that the talks centred around “consolidating chances of halting the war and lifting the blockade” imposed by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition. He thanked Oman following the announcement and urged the UN to work on opening the Sana’a international airport and the crucial port of Hodeidah.
Also Read: History Tells Us That the Yemen Ceasefire Is Destined to Fail
Yemen’s Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition had first agreed to a two-month ceasefire in April after nearly a six-year civil war starting in 2016, bringing much-needed relief to the war-ravaged country, as international organisations could increase and expedite efforts to provide aid for millions in Yemen. Both parties agreed to extend the truce for the first time in June. However, throughout the relatively calm period, each side accused the other of violating the peace terms on multiple occasions in the last four months.
In fact, last month, the Yemeni government stated that the Houthi rebels had committed 277 violations of the UN peace deal in Hodeida, Taiz, Dhale’, Hajjah, Sa’adah, Jawf, and Marib, leading to 12 deaths and 19 injuries. Meanwhile, the Houthis reported 87 breaches on Sunday and an additional 160 transgressions on Monday, including air raids, shelling, and the use of spy drones. To this end, a Houthi source opined that breaking the truce confirmed “the lack of credibility” of the Saudi-led coalition.
We welcome the @UN truce extension in Yemen, which brings respite from conflict to millions and saves lives - the longest period of calm since the war began. We appreciate @OSE_Yemen and our Special Envoy's tireless efforts.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 2, 2022
Meanwhile, United States (US) President Joe Biden welcomed the truce extension, saying it had “brought a period of unprecedented calm in Yemen.” However, he cautioned that it “is not enough in the long run,” calling on both parties to “seize this opportunity” to reach a lasting peace agreement.
Similarly, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who spoke with Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi in support of the truce extension on Sunday, remarked that Washington remains committed to mitigating the country’s dire humanitarian and economic crisis. He also urged both factions “to listen to the demands of their people and commit to cooperating under UN auspices to achieve peace.” Along the same lines, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appreciated the “positive development.”
The unrest in Yemen began in 2014 when a civil war broke out between the Houthis and the internationally recognised Yemeni government, which was ousted in the same year by the rebels. In 2015, a Saudi-led coalition, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), launched a major offensive in Yemen by conducting airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas. Since then, there has been no end in sight to the war, and international efforts to halt the fighting have largely failed. The war has killed more than 130,000 people, with the UN calling the conflict “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.”
After years of conflict in Yemen that led to a grave humanitarian crisis, the @WhiteHouse just announced that the 5-month truce was extended. While this is critical news, Yemenis deserve lasting peace. All parties must come together to find a resolution to the conflict.
— Samantha Power (@PowerUSAID) August 3, 2022
The World Food Programme estimates that 19 million people in the country are food insecure, 20.7 million require humanitarian assistance, and 3.5 million pregnant or breastfeeding women and children under 5 are suffering from acute malnutrition.
In this respect, the Norwegian Refugee Council estimated that in the first month of the truce in April, the number of civilian casualties declined by half. Furthermore, the UN reported last month that displacement had fallen by nearly 50%, and 26 fuel ships had entered Hodeidah by Tuesday, while 36 round-trip flights took place between Yemen, Jordan, and Egypt.