PM Barzani welcomes truce announcement in Yemen

Shafaq News/ The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzani, on Sunday commended the United Nations (UN) announcement of truce between the parties involved in the conflict in Yemen, hoping it ushers to restoring stability in the entire Middle East.

"I welcome the UN announcement of the two-month truce in the conflict in Yemen and the parties' acceptance of its terms," PM Barzani tweeted, "I also hope that the truce – at the onset of Ramadan, serves as a start to restore stability in the region."

Yemen’s warring parties have laid down their weapons for the first nationwide truce since 2016, with all eyes on whether the UN-brokered ceasefire will hold.

The Iran-backed Houthi group and Saudi-led coalition have both agreed to observe the two-month truce, which took effect on Saturday on the first day of Ramadan, the Muslim holy fasting month.

“The two-month truce started at 7 pm (1600 GMT) tonight. As of tonight, all offensive ground, aerial and naval military operations should cease,” UN special envoy Hans Grundberg said in a statement.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree confirmed "our commitment to a comprehensive cessation of military operations as long as the other party adheres to this."

Yemen’s intractable war has killed hundreds of thousands directly or indirectly and displaced millions, triggering the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.

Previous ceasefires have been ineffective. A national truce ahead of peace talks in April 2016 was violated almost immediately, as were other ceasefires that year.

A 2018 agreement to cease hostilities around rebel-held Hodeida port, a lifeline for the Arab world's poorest country, was also largely ignored.

Both the Houthis and Saudi Arabia have welcomed the latest initiative, which follows a surge in attacks but also increasing diplomacy including ongoing talks in Riyadh.