As of: 04/01/2022 7:34 p.m
According to the UN, the guns in Yemen will remain silent for two months, giving hundreds of thousands a breather. The planned start of the ceasefire coincides with the start of the fasting month of Ramadan.
According to the United Nations, the warring parties in Yemen have agreed on a two-month ceasefire. UN special envoy Hans Grundberg said it should begin on Saturday evening at 7 p.m. local time. If all parties agree, it can also be extended.
The beginning of the ceasefire coincides with the start of the Islamic month of fasting, Ramadan.
Unilateral ceasefire announced earlier
Earlier this past weekend, the Houthi rebels announced a three-day ceasefire and offered to turn it into a permanent ceasefire. Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday that it would not conduct any operations in Yemen during Ramadan. The aim is to create a positive environment for negotiations.
The week before, the Houthi rebels had also attacked targets in Saudi Arabiawhich responded with retaliatory strikes.
Famine in Yemen one of the greatest humanitarian catastrophes
In 2014, the Houthi rebels seized large parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has been conducting a military operation against the Houthis with other countries and the internationally recognized government. Sunni Saudi Arabia sees them as an ally of its Shiite nemesis Iran.
According to the UN, around 380,000 people have already been killed in the conflict, and millions more have had to flee. There is a dangerous famine that is particularly affecting the weakest: According to the UN, around two million children under the age of five are malnourished. The UN speaks of the greatest humanitarian catastrophe in the world.