The UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg has confirmed an ongoing effort to negotiate a ceasefire for Yemen to span the entire holy month of Ramadan. This year, Ramadan matches exactly with the month of April.
The Houthis were quick to praise the move, saying it was a very “positive step.” It’s not clear what the initial reaction from the pro-Saudi side is, but there is high hope for the deal giving Yemenis a break after years of violence.
Internationally-brokered Ramadan ceasefires have been a major help for war-torn populations around the Middle East in recent years. Yemen, with its food and aid shortages, could particularly benefit from a month of calm, and this might be the opportunity to finally kickstart negotiations.
Such ceasefires haven’t always held, and could be setting Yemenis up for a disappointment. After so many violent years, however, it is a risk worth taking, with some appetite for ending the war on all sides, and calm clearly a way to jumpstart it.
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