Yemen consented to a five-day truce proposed by Saudi Arabia, which will begin on Tuesday, according to an army spokesperson allied with the Houthi forces.
“We announce our acceptance of the humanitarian ceasefire
that will begin on Tuesday,” Colonel Sharaf Luqman said in a
statement broadcast by Yemen’s Saba news agency. Any violation of
the ceasefire by Al-Qaeda or others would prompt a military
response, he stressed.
The ceasefire, which is to allow humanitarian aid in, is to come
into force at 11pm (2000 GMT) on Tuesday.
The Sunday announcement of the ceasefire deal comes hours after a
Saudi-led coalition carried out air raids in the Yemeni capital
of Sanaa. The strikes targeted former president Ali Abdullah
Saleh’s house, Reuters cited witnesses and members of ex-leader’s
political party as saying. Reportedly, three explosions hit the
area and heavy smoke was visible.
Last airlifter Ilyushin Il-76 up in flames, after a coalition
air strike on #Sanaa Airport
today. Via @ammar82#Yemenpic.twitter.com/qMogzvQ4Vl
— Yemen Updates (@yemen_updates) May
4, 2015
Earlier, Houthi forces said in a statement that they would react
“positively” to any effort that would help alleviate the
plight of the Yemeni people, signaling their readiness to agree
to a humanitarian ceasefire.
“We welcome any truce that has characteristics that serve the
welfare of our nation,” Houthi spokesperson Hussein al-Azzi
said on his Facebook page.
According to Houthi media, #Saudi-led
coalition airstrikes killed about 40 people in #Saada,
northern #Yemen.
pic.twitter.com/RxI0b1SVhf
— Yemen Updates (@yemen_updates) May
6, 2015
Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that a ceasefire could begin in
Yemen as soon as 8pm GMT Tuesday, if Houthi forces agreed to the
proposal.
Despite the end of the first phase of the Saudi-led campaign,
codenamed Decisive Storm, on April 21, the fighting continues to
accelerate in Yemen. The second phase has been named operation
Restoring Hope, which was said to be focused on diplomacy, but
did not rule out new airstrikes.
#SAUDI
TARGETS HOUTHI LEADERS… Airstrikes destroy houses of 4 Houthi
military officials in Ibb. #Yemen
#اليمن pic.twitter.com/wnl69kiigy
— Yemen Post Newspaper (@YemenPostNews) May
9, 2015
The devastation caused by the bombardment has aroused criticism
from UN officials who believe the bombing to be a breach of
international law.
“The indiscriminate bombing of populated areas, with or
without prior warning, is in contravention of international
humanitarian law (IHL),” said Johannes van der Klaauw, the
UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen.
“Issuing warnings of impending attacks does not absolve the
parties of their IHL obligations to protect civilians from
harm.”
“Many civilians are effectively trapped in Sanaa as they are
unable to access transport because of the fuel shortage. The
targeting of an entire governorate will put countless civilians
at risk,” van der Klaauw said.
24,000 STUDENTS LOSE THEIR SCHOOL.. #Saudi
airstrikes have destroyed 27 schools says Education Ministry
#Yemen
#اليمن pic.twitter.com/b7tBF7V7cS
— Yemen Post Newspaper (@YemenPostNews) May
9, 2015
Last week witnessed heavy casualties and multiple airstrikes. At
least 120 people died in Yemen on Wednesday, the majority of them
civilians, according to Reuters.
Many lives were lost at an attempt to flee the southern port city
of Aden by boat. One report claims the vessel was struck by
Houthi shells.
At least 21 civilians also died in the north-western province of
Saada, according to reports, due to a barrage of coalition
airstrikes.
The majority of the fighting is currently in Aden’s Tawahi
district, where Houthi forces were making advances.
Over 1,250 have died since the start of the operation on March 26
and more than 5,000 have been wounded, according to the World
Health Organization. Local estimates are much higher than that.