Yemen War: Ceasefire Takes Effect in Hudaydah after Skirmishes

Fighting between Yemeni pro-government forces and Houthi rebels in the city of Hudaydah has reportedly subsided, after a ceasefire came into effect overnight.

Skirmishes continued for several hours following the start of the UN-brokered truce at midnight (21:00 GMT), but locals now say it is relatively calm.

UN envoy Martin Griffiths said the initiative seemed to be working so far.

The battle for Hudaydah threatened the operation of its port, which is crucial to the delivery of aid supplies.

Half of the war-torn country’s population – 14 million people – are on the brink of famine and an estimated 85,000 children may have died from malnutrition.

Yemen has been devastated by a conflict that escalated in early 2015, when the Houthis seized control of much of the west of the country, including the capital Sanaa, and forced President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee abroad.

Alarmed by the rise of a group they saw as an Iranian proxy, Saudi Arabia and eight other Arab states intervened in an attempt to restore the government.

What’s happening on the ground?

The ceasefire covering the city of Hudaydah and the ports of Hudaydah, Salif and Ras Issa was first announced last week following talks in Sweden’s capital, Stockholm. But it had to be delayed by several days because of fierce fighting.

The Houthis, who control the city and ports, and Yemen’s government, whose forces are deployed to the south and east, have said they are now committed to abiding by the truce.

There were sporadic clashes along the front lines in Hudaydah city between 01:00 and 02:00 on Tuesday.

Saudi-funded Al Arabiya TV cited Yemeni officials as saying rebels had carried out artillery strikes on the Arts Faculty, the Ghreib district and the area around the Public Electricity Company.

However, residents said that by dawn the skirmishes had come to an end.

“The problem is that the forces have yet to disengage, and when they’re close up to each other they are liable to respond to anything they see as a provocation or an alert,” Mr Griffiths told the BBC.

“So we can expect some of this happening, but the pattern is a positive one.”

What happens next?

Under the Stockholm Agreement, once the ceasefire takes effect a “mutual redeployment of forces” shall be carried out from the city and ports “to agreed-upon locations outside”.

Mr Griffiths said that the UN would convene, possibly on Wednesday, the first meeting of the Redeployment Co-ordination Committee, which will monitor implementation. It will include members of the warring parties and be chaired by the retired Dutch general, Patrick Cammaert.

The first phase of the redeployment will see troops withdraw from the ports and critical parts of the city associated with humanitarian facilities and the UN taking a “leading role”.

“By the end of the year – that is within two weeks – we hope, plan and aim to see those disengagements,” Mr Griffiths said.

The full redeployment of all forces from the region should be completed within 21 days of the ceasefire entering into effect.

Mr Griffiths said this would include complete disengagement from the main road from Hudaydah to the capital Sanaa, which is crucial for the delivery of humanitarian supplies to the wider population.

The Stockholm Agreement should also see a prisoner swap and the facilitation of aid deliveries to the city of Taiz, which is besieged by the Houthis.

At least 6,660 civilians have been killed and 10,560 injured in the war, according to the UN. The fighting and a partial blockade by the coalition have also left 22 million people in need of humanitarian aid, created the world’s largest food security emergency, and led to a cholera outbreak that has affected 1 million people.

Source: BBC