A UN-brokered nationwide ceasefire takes effect in Yemen after seven years of conflict that has forced millions into hunger, poverty and homelessness.
Yemenis have welcomed a UN-brokered nationwide ceasefire that took effect on Saturday local time as a glimmer of hope in a country ravaged by a seven-year conflict that has forced millions into hunger, poverty and homelessness.
The two-month truce, which coincides with the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, is the first time since 2016 that warring sides have agreed to a nationwide cessation of hostilities.About 60 per cent died from hunger, lack of healthcare and unsafe water.
A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, which intervened in March 2015 in support of the Yemeni government against the Houthis, controls Yemen's seas and air space.Some customers in a busy Sanaa market cautiously welcomed the possibility that the truce might herald real progress after years of hardship.
"The truce is indeed a good and excellent thing, but let's see how it is actually implemented," said Najeeb al-Bashiri, a civil servant in Sanaa.