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dpa
Sana’a
A nationwide truce, which started last week in war-ravaged Yemen, is being honoured and has led to a significant reduction of violence, United Nations special envoy Hans Grundberg said on Wednesday.
A two-month UN-brokered truce began on Saturday in the impoverished country, after it was agreed to, both by the Yemeni government and the Saudi-led coalition supporting it, and their rival, the Houthi rebels.
“Since the start of the truce, we have seen significant reduction of violence. However, there are reports of some hostile military activities, particularly around Marib, which are of concern,” Grunberg said, referring to Yemen’s embattled energy-rich province.
“This is both a precious and a precarious moment,” he said in remarks released by his office.
As part of the truce agreement, the Yemeni government on Wednesday released ships carrying fuel to Houthi-held territory, he added.
But, a Houthi official accused the Saudi-led coalition of holding up an oil ship despite the truce.
“The vessel was held although it was searched and obtained entry permits from the UN,” Essam al-Motawakel, a spokesperson for the Houthi-run Yemen Petroleum Company, added, without providing further details.
So far, there has been no comment from the alliance or the UN.
The provisions of the pact include a halt to military operations and call for no restrictions to the entry of 18 fuel ships into Hodeidah port in western Yemen, among other measures.
In recent months, Yemen has seen a severe fuel crisis, which led to price hikes and forced some health facilities to shut off equipment. Saudi Arabia and its allies have been fighting alongside the government in Yemen against the Iranian-backed Houthis since March 2015, months after the rebels seized parts of the country including the capital Sana’a.
The government and the Houthis have accused each other of breaching the truce.
Sana’a
A nationwide truce, which started last week in war-ravaged Yemen, is being honoured and has led to a significant reduction of violence, United Nations special envoy Hans Grundberg said on Wednesday.
A two-month UN-brokered truce began on Saturday in the impoverished country, after it was agreed to, both by the Yemeni government and the Saudi-led coalition supporting it, and their rival, the Houthi rebels.
“Since the start of the truce, we have seen significant reduction of violence. However, there are reports of some hostile military activities, particularly around Marib, which are of concern,” Grunberg said, referring to Yemen’s embattled energy-rich province.
“This is both a precious and a precarious moment,” he said in remarks released by his office.
As part of the truce agreement, the Yemeni government on Wednesday released ships carrying fuel to Houthi-held territory, he added.
But, a Houthi official accused the Saudi-led coalition of holding up an oil ship despite the truce.
“The vessel was held although it was searched and obtained entry permits from the UN,” Essam al-Motawakel, a spokesperson for the Houthi-run Yemen Petroleum Company, added, without providing further details.
So far, there has been no comment from the alliance or the UN.
The provisions of the pact include a halt to military operations and call for no restrictions to the entry of 18 fuel ships into Hodeidah port in western Yemen, among other measures.
In recent months, Yemen has seen a severe fuel crisis, which led to price hikes and forced some health facilities to shut off equipment. Saudi Arabia and its allies have been fighting alongside the government in Yemen against the Iranian-backed Houthis since March 2015, months after the rebels seized parts of the country including the capital Sana’a.
The government and the Houthis have accused each other of breaching the truce.
