UN Says Deal Reached on Enforcing Hodeidah Ceasefire

Negotiations over the last 48 hours on board a UN ship in the Red Sea have reached a successful deal, according to UN officials, who say a new mechanism has been agreed upon on enforcing the Hodeidah ceasefire.

The Hodeidah ceasefire was reached by Yemen’s Houthis and the Saudi-led invasion force, and was intended to get combatants out of Hodeidah, Yemen’s largest, most important aid port.

The Houthis have made good on handing over the ports themselves to local groups, but getting the Saudi-led forces out of the area has taken a lot longer, with the UAE the only country that’s willingly reduced its presence.

The new deal involves rounds of de-escalation and some new measures on enforcing the ceasefire. The two sides also reached a deal on a timetable for further troop removals from the area.

A mostly desert country, even in peacetime Yemen imports over 90% of its food. During the war, the vast majority of the food, and materially all the food for the country’s north have come in through Hodeidah.