UN urges Yemen parties to pull back from Hodeidah

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has called on warring parties in Yemen to pull back their forces from the key city of Hodeidah "as soon as possible" in line with a ceasefire deal reached four months ago.

In a statement on Wednesday, the council said it will monitor the compliance of all sides with the “redeployment plans” agreed in the deal as it awaits a report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on whether they are upholding their commitments.

The redeployment of forces was agreed in December under a UN-brokered deal reached between Yemen’s National Delegation and Saudi-backed Delegation in Sweden. The United Nations announced a deal on the two-stage pullback from Hodeidah city and its ports in February, but the redeployment failed to materialize on the ground as the US-Saudi aggression and its mercenaries continued to violate the ceasefire.

The council expressed "grave concern" that four months on, the agreements have not been implemented, but there was no threat of sanctions against those who are blocking the peace effort.

The council members welcomed Monday’s announcement by UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths that said Yemeni Army and Popular Committees and militants loyal to the ex-Yemeni government had agreed to a detailed plan for the initial withdrawal of forces from Hodeidah.

The statement urged the warring sides to engage with Griffiths and the head of the UN operation monitoring the withdrawals “to swiftly agree on local security force arrangements” and on the second phase of the redeployment.

It also called on the parties “to redouble efforts” to finalize arrangements for a prisoner exchange and to establish a coordinating committee in southwestern city of Ta’izz, as called for in the Stockholm agreements.

The council further reiterated its concern about “the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation across Yemen.”

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