Yemeni Parties Welcome UN Security Council Resolution on Hudaydah Ceasefire

As Patrick Cammaert, the head of the Hudaydah ceasefire observers group, arrives in Yemen, the parties involved in the internal conflict of the country welcomed the UN Security Council resolution regarding this matter. The Houthi rebels, who are supported by Iran, described the UN Security Council resolution to strengthen ceasefire observers in the key port of Hudaydah as a 'significant step' and welcomed it. Meanwhile, the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi emphasized its commitment to adhering to this ceasefire, which was achieved during peace talks among Yemeni groups in Sweden. The Security Council resolution, which was unanimously adopted on Friday, supports the outcomes of the Sweden talks, including the withdrawal of combat forces from Hudaydah, seen as a crucial gateway for food and medical aid imports to Yemen. This resolution also allows the Security Council to convene within 30 days of its adoption to establish and deploy a ceasefire monitoring team in Hudaydah, under the command of retired Dutch General Patrick Cammaert. The resolution also stresses the necessity for all parties to adhere to the Hudaydah ceasefire, which, although it began last Tuesday, still appears fragile. Meanwhile, Patrick Cammaert, who has participated in numerous UN peacekeeping missions, entered Yemen on Saturday with a team of UN observers via Aden airport, and is expected to visit Sana'a and the port of Hudaydah soon. The UN resolution supporting the Hudaydah ceasefire has been welcomed by the Houthis, who, according to AFP quoting Houthi negotiator Mohammed Abdelsalam, described it as 'a significant step to stop aggressions and lift the siege,' referring to the military operations of the Saudi-led Arab coalition against the Houthis in support of the Yemeni government and the blockade of the country by air and sea. The Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV also reflected another part of Mohammed Abdelsalam's remarks, in which he criticized the Security Council for not condemning the 'crimes of the aggressors.' AFP reminded that the four-year civil war in Yemen has intensified since the spring of three years ago with the intervention of the Arab coalition against the Houthis, which had ousted the Mansur Hadi government from Sana'a. Since then, this conflict has officially left around 10,000 dead, although human rights groups estimate the actual death toll to be up to five times higher. Meanwhile, the Mansur Hadi government also issued a statement on Friday reaffirming its commitment to the new ceasefire agreement and expressing its support for the Security Council resolution. The Yemeni government committed in this statement to work with 'a positive spirit' with Martin Griffiths, the UN envoy for Yemen, to achieve a political agreement and end the conflict in the country.