The ceasefire is the biggest step forward in the six-year war and is intended to be implemented inside and outside the country. In a statement, UN special envoy Hans Grundberg stressed the importance of building on the agreement to restore trust between the warring parties and restart a political process aimed at ending the conflict. He hopes that such a long ceasefire provides an opportunity to develop full-fledged peace talks and to address some of the underlying economic problems that are prolonging the conflict. “The aim of this truce is to give Yemen a necessary break from violence, relief from humanitarian suffering and, most importantly, hope that this conflict can be ended,” Grundberg said. The terms of the truce include facilitating the entry of 18 fuel vessels into the ports of Hodeidah and the possibility of two commercial flights a week to and from Sanaa Airport to predetermined destinations. The terms also include convening a meeting between the parties to agree on the opening of roads in the city of Taiz and elsewhere to improve the freedom of movement of civilians within Yemen. “My warmest congratulations to all Yemenis on the start of the holy month of Ramadan,” Grundberg said. “I hope that the start of this truce will give Yemen the opportunity to celebrate the holy month in peace, security and tranquility.” The ceasefire coincided with separate talks held by the Gulf Cooperation Council between several of the warring parties in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The Houthi rebel group, which claimed responsibility for further attacks last week on Saudi Aramco facilities inside Saudi Arabia, is not involved in the talks. The British ambassador to Yemen, Richard Oppenheim, urged the Houthis to take part in the talks in Riyadh, adding that the aim was to turn the ceasefire into something permanent. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday voiced hope for a “political process” that would bring peace to the impoverished country. “You have to take this momentum to make sure that this ceasefire is fully respected and that it is renewed and … that a real political process starts,” he said. “This shows that even when things seem impossible, when there is a will to compromise, peace is possible,” Guterres added. The US special envoy for Yemen, Tim Lederking, claimed that the ceasefire was the result of a change in the dynamics of the battlefield and the realization by the Iranian-backed Houthis that they could not win militarily. “We would like to see Iran move away from negative tactics and the role it has played so far,” he said.
