The United Nations announced on Thursday, July 9, that an "unconditional and humanitarian" ceasefire will be established in Yemen from midnight Friday, July 10, until the end of Ramadan. The aim of this ceasefire is to transfer essential supplies to the residents of this impoverished Arab country, which has been in war and unrest for months. According to the Associated Press, a UN spokesperson stated that Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General, has assured that both Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the exiled president, and the Houthi rebels have agreed to stop the fighting in Yemen. Ramadan is expected to end on Friday, July 17. According to Stephane Dujarric, the UN spokesperson, the exiled Yemeni president has informed the Saudi-led coalition of this decision. This coalition has been targeting the Houthi rebels for months with the aim of restoring power to Mr. Hadi. Some UN diplomats have stated that the Yemeni president had previously outlined conditions for accepting the ceasefire in a letter to Ban Ki-moon, including the withdrawal of Houthis from the provinces of Aden, Taiz, Shabwa, and Marib, and the release of the country's defense minister as preconditions. However, he later retracted these preconditions under pressure. Since the Saudi-led coalition's attacks on the Houthi rebels began last March, more than three thousand people, including Houthi militants and civilians, have been killed in the country. These attacks began after the Shia Houthi rebels, supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, occupied Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, and overthrew the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. In this context, airstrikes and clashes in Yemen have left at least 176 dead.
Ceasefire in Yemen from Midnight Friday until the End of Ramadan
The UN has announced a ceasefire in Yemen from July 10 until the end of Ramadan to facilitate the delivery of essential supplies to residents affected by ongoing conflict. Both the exiled Yemeni president and Houthi rebels have agreed to the ceasefire, although the president initially set conditions that he later retracted. This ceasefire is significant as it aims to alleviate humanitarian suffering in a country devastated by war.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The UN announced a ceasefire in Yemen from July 10 until the end of Ramadan to allow for humanitarian aid delivery. Both the exiled president and Houthi rebels have agreed to this ceasefire, despite initial conditions set by Hadi that were later retracted.
- The ceasefire is intended to alleviate humanitarian suffering in Yemen.
- Over 3,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led coalition's intervention began.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since 2014, with the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, fighting against the Saudi-supported government. The conflict has led to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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