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News > World

Yemen's Houthis Accept Saudi 5-Day Truce

  • A young Yemeni man searches through a pile of rubble of a house destroyed by Saudi airstrikes, in Sanaa, the capital city of Yemen.

    A young Yemeni man searches through a pile of rubble of a house destroyed by Saudi airstrikes, in Sanaa, the capital city of Yemen. | Photo: Reuters

Published 10 May 2015
Opinion

The aim of the cease-fire is to allow much needed humanitarian aid.

Yemen’s Houthi leadership confirmed Sunday that it would accept a five-day truce proposed by Saudi Arabia earlier this week.

The truce would allow much needed humanitarian aid into the country, which already imported 90 percent of its food before the conflict began.

Shortages have caused the prices of food and oil to skyrocket, making these goods inaccessible for may people.

Despite the acceptance of the truce, the Saudi airstrikes continued Sunday, hitting residential areas in the capital city of Sanaa. The truce would begin on Tuesday at 11 p.m. local time.

The airstrikes aimed at destroying the house of former Yemeni leader Ali Abdullah Saleh. After the bombing of his house, Saleh publicly expressed his support for the Houthis. Earlier reports of an alliance between the former leader and the Houthi movement were denied by both parties.

RELATED: Why Saudia Arabia is Bombing Yemen

Despite a month of Saudi airstrikes on Yemen, the Houthi movement has been able to control more territory and are now fighting to take over the south of the country, which has been under control of forces loyal to exiled President Abd Mansour Hadi.

After announcing an end to the airstrikes earlier in April, the Saudis have actually increased the intensity of the bombing campaign.

Analysts believe the military operation has largely failed to attain its declared goals – debilitating the Houthis and restoring Hadi in power – which would explain the increased intensity of the airstrikes and recent governmental changes made by the Saudi kingdom.

In a statement accepting the truce, the Houthis clarified that they would consider any breach in the cease-fire carried by al-Qaida militants as a breach of the truce itself. The Houthis claim many fighters in pro-government lines are linked to the terrorist group.

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