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India on Friday lauded the extension of truce between the Government in Yemen and Houthi rebels for an additional two months.
"We welcome the agreement between the parties to the Yemeni conflict to renew the current truce for two additional months. We are encouraged by this development, the reduction in violence in Yemen during the ceasefire over the past two months as well as the first face-to-face meeting under the UN auspices between the parties to the conflict," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Friday. "We hope that these developments would lead to further political dialogue between the parties for ending the conflict and restoring peace, security and stability across Yemen," Bagchi added. UN Special Envoy for the country Hans Grundberg announced on Thursday that a truce between the Government in Yemen and Houthi rebels has been renewed for an additional two months, "By agreeing to implement and now renewing the truce, the parties have provided a rare glimmer of hope to Yemenis that an end to this devastating conflict is possible," he said in a statement.The extension comes into effect at 7 pm, local time, and under the same terms as the original UN-brokered agreement, which began on April 2. The conflict between Yemeni Government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Houthis began in 2015, a few months after the rebels took over the capital, Sana'a.Over the past two months, the country's people have experienced the tangible benefits of the truce, said Grundberg. Civilian casualties have dropped significantly, fuel deliveries through Hudaydah port have increased considerably, and commercial flights have resumed at the main airport in Sana'a, after nearly six years. Additionally, the parties have been meeting face-to-face under UN auspices for the first time in years to make progress toward opening roads in Taiz and other war-ravaged governorates and implementing nationwide military de-escalation mechanisms. Since April 2015, Yemen has been in the grip of a war where the Saudi-led coalition and the internationally recognised government are battling with the Houthis to control key ports and cities in the country. The conflict is also seen as part of a regional power struggle between Shia-ruled Iran and Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia. (ANI)
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