Houthi supporters carry weapons during a gathering in Sanaa

WORLD

Saudi-led coalition announces Yemen ceasefire

The war in Yemen has been branded the worst humanitarian crisis of recent times. But now, after years of bloodshed, there is a glimmer of hope that an end to the conflict may be in sight.

On Wednesday, the Saudi Arabian-led coalition fighting Houthi forces in the country declared a ceasefire. A statement read: ‘On the occasion of holding and succeeding the efforts of the UN envoy to Yemen and to alleviate the suffering of the brotherly Yemeni people and work to confront the corona pandemic and prevent it from spreading, the coalition announces a comprehensive ceasefire for a period of two weeks, starting on Thursday’.

It still remains unknown if Houthi forces will also join the ceasefire.

Appeal for an end to fighting

In March, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres appealed to forces in Yemen to stop fighting and focus on preventing a potential outbreak of the deadly Covid-19 virus, which so far has no spread to the country.

The conflict in Yemen has been raging since 2014, when, working with forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Houtis seized much of the nation including the capital Sanaa.

The world's worst humanitarian crisis

Yemen today is the home of the world's worst humanitarian crisis. It is estimated that more than 22.2 million people - or 75 percent of the population - is in need of humanitarian assistance. The conflict has left 2 million people displaced from their homes.

Nathan Morley reports: