- Title: U.N. envoy arrives in Yemen to discuss ceasefire
- Date: 23rd October 2016
- Summary: SANAA, YEMEN (OCTOBER 23, 2016) (REUTERS) ENTRANCE TO SANAA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT / SIGN READING (English/Arabic) "SANAA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT" UNITED NATIONS YEMEN ENVOY, ISMAIL OULD CHEIKH AHMED, DISEMBARKING FROM THE PLANE / YEMENI OFFICIALS GREETING HIM CHEIKH AHMED ENTERING ARRIVAL HALL CHEIKH AHMED STANDING AT THE PODIUM AT SANAA AIRPORT AHEAD OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) U.N. ENVOY TO YEMEN, ISMAIL OULD CHEIKH AHMED, SAYING: "I came to have discussions with the Congress delegation (former president Ali Abdullah Saleh's General People's Congress) and the Ansar Allah delegation (the Houthis) who, as you know, were with us in Kuwait and in Musqat (Oman). We now have some ideas that in the coming days you will see are tangible and we have started to develop it into a plan that we will present to the brothers (the two delegations) in the coming hours." CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) U.N. ENVOY TO YEMEN, ISMAIL OULD CHEIKH AHMED SAYING: "We are working on activating the ceasefire that we implemented two or three days ago…there are many dangers that threaten (the truce) but despite this, we believe that the truce must continue because it allows for humanitarian aid to be delivered and creates an environment that we strive for in order to work on the political solution." CHEIKH AHMED LEAVING THE AIRPORT
- Embargoed: 7th November 2016 16:35
- Keywords: Yemen ceasefire UN envoy Saudi Arabia Houthis peace talks
- Location: SANAA, YEMEN
- City: SANAA, YEMEN
- Country: Yemen
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA0015586GCN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The United Nations envoy to Yemen arrived in Sanaa on Sunday (October 23), just hours after a three-day truce expired and Saudi-led coalition warplanes resumed air strikes on the capital.
The ceasefire was agreed to allow for an increased flow of humanitarian aid. It ended without renewal after a day of heavy fighting between the Saudi-led Arab coalition and the Iran-allied Houthi movement.
The United Nations and diplomats had hoped a pause in the conflict would pave the way for talks to end a 19-month-old war which has killed at least 10,000 people.
Speaking to reporters after arriving at Sanaa airport, U.N. envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said he would hold discussions with the Houthis and their allies in the General People's Congress, the party of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
He said he also plans to discuss renewing the ceasefire to allow for the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid across the country.
The Saudi-led coalition has been fighting Houthi rebels and forces loyal to former president Saleh in Yemen since March 2015 to try to restore to power the internationally backed President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who went into exile. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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