- Title: Saudi-led ceasefire in Yemen begins, raising hopes for peace
- Date: 9th April 2020
- Summary: SANAA, YEMEN (APRIL 9, 2020) (REUTERS VIA VIDEO CALL) (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS RESIDENT COORDINATOR AND HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR IN YEMEN, LISE GRANDE, SAYING: "A ceasefire for the next two weeks couldn't have come at a more important time after 5 years of warfare, three-quarters of the entire population of Yemen requires some form of humanitarian assistance or protection. It also comes at an important time because of the more than 40 major humanitarian programs in Yemen, we don't have funding for 31 one of them. This month alone in April, we're going to see programs all across the country, either reduce or shut."
- Embargoed: 23rd April 2020 15:54
- Keywords: Coronavirus Humanitarian Iran Saudi Arabia United Nations War Yemen
- Location: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA / SANAA, YEMEN
- City: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA / SANAA, YEMEN
- Country: Yemen
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA002C8RRQ6F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A nationwide ceasefire in response to the global coronavirus outbreak went into effect in Yemen on Thursday (April 9), raising hope for an end to the five-year-old war that has pushed millions to the brink of famine.
A Saudi-led coalition fighting against Yemen's Houthi movement said it would halt military operations from 0900 GMT for two weeks in support of United Nations efforts to end the conflict that has killed more than 100,000 people.
The Iran-aligned movement, which controls the capital Sanaa and most big urban centres, has yet to announce whether it will follow suit in what would be the first major breakthrough in peace efforts since late 2018.
The United Nations and Western allies have pointed to the threat of the coronavirus to push the combatants to restart talks to end the war, which has shattered Yemen's health system.
The U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, Lise Grande, told Reuters at least half of Yemen's population was in a "very degraded health status" while three quarters require some form of humanitarian assistance or protection.
The conflict, widely seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, has been in military stalemate for years and brought Yemen's economy to its knees.
(Production: Nael Shyoukhi, Ahmed Ansi, Abdelruhman Yahya, Tarek Fahmy, Hamuda Hassan) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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