- Title: Saudi-led ceasefire in Yemen begins, raising hopes for peace
- Date: 9th April 2020
- Summary: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (APRIL 9, 2020) (REUTERS) PEOPLE QUEUED UP OUTSIDE SUPERMARKET PEOPLE'S TEMPERATURE BEING SCANNED AT SUPERMARKET ENTRANCE SUPERMARKET CART BEING SPRAYED (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) YEMENI CITIZEN LIVING IN SAUDI ARABIA, ABDELMALEK AL-JAAFARY, SAYING: "The initiative taken by the king to call for a ceasefire is a positive move and would be even better if its reciprocated on both sides. There are two wars, one against Corona and the other one, which we want to get out of." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE'S TEMPERATURE BEING SCANNED AT SUPERMARKET ENTRANCE PEOPLE QUEUING OUTSIDE SUPERMARKET GIRL PUTTING ON GLOVES (SOUNDBITE) (English) RIYADH RESIDENT, AMMAR KHALED, SAYING: "A lot of money was spent on the war. If there was no war, that money would be spent on education, medical school, college, knowledge. People or, both sides, the Saudi government and Yemeni government will have a better financial result after all." MAN SPRAYING SUPERMARKET CARTS
- 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: LVA001C8RRQ6F
- 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
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
