UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations will present a new plan for the pullback of forces from Yemen’s flashpoint city of Hodeidah following talks with the government and the Houthis, a UN envoy said Tuesday.
The redeployment of forces was agreed in December under a ceasefire deal reached in Sweden that offered the best hope in years of moving toward an end to the war that has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine.
“Following constructive discussions with both parties, there is significant progress towards an agreement to implement phase one of the redeployments of the Hodeida agreement,” said a statement from Martin Griffiths, the UN envoy for Yemen.
“Operational details will be presented to the parties in the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) for endorsement shortly,” he added.
The UN envoy’s statement did not give a date for the start of the pullback, which would mark the first step towards de-escalation.
Griffiths said he “looks forward to the swift endorsement of the plan.”
The United Nations announced a deal on the two-stage pullback from Hodeidah city and its ports on February 17, but the redeployment failed to materialize on the ground.
UN diplomats said the Houthis were refusing to pull away from the ports as part of the first stage.
Griffiths and head of the RCC, Danish General Michael Lollesgaard, have been holding talks with all sides to overcome the final hurdles.
The Red Sea port of Hodeidah is the entry point for the bulk of imported goods and relief aid to Yemen.
The conflict in Yemen has unleashed the world’s worst humanitarian conflict.
UN presents new plan for Yemen pullback from Hodeidah
UN presents new plan for Yemen pullback from Hodeidah
- The redeployment of forces was agreed in December under a ceasefire deal reached in Sweden that offered the best hope in years of moving toward an end to the war
- The UN envoy's statement did not give a date for the start of the pullback, which would mark the first step towards de-escalation
