Truce in Yemen’s key port city takes effect

By Zeynep Tufekci and Hamdi Yildiz </p> <p>HUDAYDAH/MARIB, Yemen (AA) – A UN-sponsored ceasefire went into effect midnight Tuesday in Yemen’s key Red Sea port city of Hudaydah and its surroundings. </p> <p>The truce between pro-government forces and Houthi rebels comes after a deal was clinched last week in Stockholm, Sweden during UN-sponsored peace talks between Yemen’s warring parties. </p> <p>Yemeni Foreign Minister Khalid al-Yamani confirmed the government’s intention to abide by the ceasefire in Hudaydah, Salif and Ras Issa in a statement on Twitter. </p> <p>Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam also underscored the rebels’ commitment to the deal. </p> <p>He said this would entail an end to military operations in Hudaydah as well as the cessation of fighting in Taiz in the country’s southwest. </p> <p>Fighting between the two sides had flared up the previous day in Hudaydah, a key entry point for humanitarian aid. </p> <p>The UN is expected to lead relief efforts through the port to reach the war-torn population throughout the country and improve their living conditions. </p> <p>Yemen plunged into civil war in 2014 when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sana’a, forcing the government to flee to Saudi Arabia. </p> <p>A year later, Saudi Arabia and several Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi military gains.