Saudi-led coalition announces
Yemen ceasefire
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| Houthi supporters carry weapons during a gathering in Sanaa earlier this month |
The war in Yemen has been branded the worst humanitarian
crisis of recent times. But now, after years of bloodshed, there is a glimmer
of hope that an end to the conflict may be in sight.
On Wednesday, the Saudi Arabian-led coalition fighting
Houthi forces in the country declared a ceasefire. A statement read: ‘On
the occasion of holding and succeeding the efforts of the UN envoy to Yemen and
to alleviate the suffering of the brotherly Yemeni people and work to confront
the corona pandemic and prevent it from spreading, the coalition announces a
comprehensive ceasefire for a period of two weeks, starting on Thursday’.
It still remains unknown if Houthi forces will also join the
ceasefire.
Appeal for an end to fighting
In March, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres
appealed to forces in Yemen to stop fighting and focus on preventing a
potential outbreak of the deadly Covid-19 virus, which so far has no spread to
the country.
The conflict in Yemen has been raging since 2014, when,
working with forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Houtis seized
much of the nation including the capital Sanaa.
The world's worst humanitarian crisis
Yemen today is the home of the world's worst humanitarian
crisis. It is estimated that more than 22.2 million people - or 75 percent of
the population - is in need of humanitarian assistance. The conflict has
left 2 million people displaced from their homes.
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