UN envoy calls on Yemeni parties to stop fighting in Hodeidah, respect cease-fire

Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-08 17:58:17|Editor: huaxia

SANAA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths on Thursday called on Yemeni parties to stop fighting in the port city of Hodeidah and respect a cease-fire agreement.

"This military escalation not only constitutes a violation of the Hodeidah cease-fire agreement but runs against the spirit of the ongoing UN-facilitated negotiations that aim to achieve a nationwide cease-fire, humanitarian and economic measures and the resumption of the political process," Griffiths said in a statement.

"I call on them to immediately stop the fighting, respect the commitments they made under the Stockholm agreement, and engage with the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement's joint implementation mechanisms," he added.

Griffiths expressed his deep concern over "the reports of a number of casualties among the civilian population, including women and children."

The port city Hodeidah, a vital lifeline for millions facing starvation, has seen a shaky cease-fire between the government and the Houthi rebels since they reached a UN-sponsored truce in Stockholm in December 2018.

The truce was seen as the first phase toward a nationwide cease-fire to end Yemen's more than five years of civil war.

Hodeidah is under the control of the Houthis, while the government forces have advanced to the southern and eastern districts.

Both sides have been blaming each other for truce breaches and military escalation.

Yemen has been mired in civil war since late 2014, when the Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

The United Nations is trying to end the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed the Arab country to the brink of famine. Enditem

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