Yemen's Houthi Militia Mulls Extending Truce

Yemen's Houthi militia said they are considering a request by the United Nations envoy to extend the ongoing two-month truce, which expires on June 2, with the Yemeni government, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported on Thursday.

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Starting on April 2, the internationally-recognized Yemeni government and the Houthi group have been observing a UN-brokered ceasefire, which also entails allowing two commercial flights a week to and from the Houthi-held Sanaa airport, the entry of 18 fuel ships into the Houthi-held port of Hodeidah, and lifting the siege of the government-held Taiz city.

So far, the ceasefire has been largely held despite sporadic fighting between the Houthis and the Yemeni government. A total of 12 ships carrying over 340,000 tonnes of fuel have been allowed by the Yemeni government into the Hodeidah port since the beginning of the truce.

Moreover, the Sanaa airport opened to commercial flights for the first time in six years this week after several setbacks. The warring sides have yet to reach an agreement on lifting the siege of Taiz.

The truce marks the first breakthrough in years to end the war in Yemen that has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed the country to the brink of starvation.

Houthi insurgents have controlled Sanaa and other cities in northern and northwestern Yemen since they took up arms in 2014 against the Yemeni government. In 2015, the situation in Yemen worsened after the intervention in the conflict of an Arab military coalition led by Saudi Arabia to restore the government.

Human rights defenders accuse all the warring groups of having committed violations against political opponents, activists or followers of different religions or tribes.