Feature: Suffering of displaced Yemenis continues despite UN-brokered cease-fire

Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 22:54:10|Editor: Shi Yinglun
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YEMEN-HODEIDAH-INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE 

A child stands next to a drinking water tank in a displacement camp in Hodeidah, Yemen, on Jan. 21, 2019. Yemen's two warring sides had reached a cease-fire agreement under the auspices of the United Nations last month, but it failed to reduce the suffering of internally displaced people in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. (Xinhua)

by Murad Abdo

ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's two warring sides had reached a cease-fire agreement under the auspices of the United Nations last month, but it failed to reduce the suffering of internally displaced people in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

Forces loyal to the two warring sides are still preventing thousands of internally displaced people from returning to their houses despite the UN-brokered cease-fire deal in the war-torn Hodeidah.

Many displaced residents confirmed that the UN-brokered cease-fire deal didn't succeed in reopening the blocked roads and failed to bring families back to their residential areas.

"This cease-fire brought nothing and we are still unable to go back to our houses," said Omar Ali, 30, who was forced to flee his house following ferocious fighting between the Shiite Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government forces in Hodeidah.

"Random mortar shells are still targeting our displacement camps and many people were either killed or injured during the cease-fire period," Omar said.

He added that "no change happened during this truce and the situation is worsening everyday with main roads are still blocked across Hodeidah."

Many other displaced families living in their tents are still waiting for the cease-fire outcomes, hoping that their suffering will be reduced by the UN peace efforts.

Um Salah Nabil, a displaced woman, said that she didn't lost hope.

"Only the withdrawal of the warring factions from our residential areas will grant us a great opportunity to come back to our daily peaceful life," she said.

Nabil added that "we are still waiting because the withdrawal of the warring factions needs more time and we hope that de-escalation can continue in Hodeidah."

Mohammed Zaher, along with other displaced people in Hodeidah, urged the UN and the international community to completely end their suffering by pressuring the two warring sides to stop fighting permanently.

"Temporary halt of fighting is not a solution for thousands of people who are experiencing endless difficulties in displacement camps," he said.

He added that "the real solution lies in hands of the UN and other powerful regional countries including those involved in Yemen's military conflict."

The fragile cease-fire was breached several times despite presence of the UN cease-fire monitoring team composed of representatives from the two warring factions.

On Jan. 17, gunfire targeted the motorcade of retired Dutch General Patrick Cammaert, head of the Joint Coordination Committee to monitor the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement, in Hodeidah province.

Cammaert was also appointed by the UN as the head of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) which includes representatives from both Yemeni rival forces.

The commission was established to support the implementation of the agreement on the city of Hodeidah and ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa as set out in the Stockholm Agreement.

Last week, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, spokesman of the Houthi rebel group, blamed Cammaert for failing to achieve progress in implementing the Stockholm Agreement.

The Saudi-backed government said that the Houthis had started to boycott meetings of the UN-backed RCC.

The cease-fire deal signed between the two warring rivals in December last year in Sweden demanded full withdrawal of all armed groups from Hodeidah and its strategic seaports.

According to the deal, the UN will manage the port and supervise the re-deployment of neutral forces there to prevent military escalation, while local forces will help maintain law and order in the city.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi rebels overtook the capital Sanaa and ousted the government of President Abd-Rabbuh Mansour Hadi. A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Houthis since 2015.

The conflict has killed more than 10,000 people and created a serious humanitarian crisis.

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KEY WORDS: Yemen
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