Yemen government upbeat on truce extension after Houthis say ‘not opposed’
The NationalMay 23, 2022
Yemen's four-month-long truce, which almost expired on Tues., has been extended for another two months, with hopes that roads will be reopened and humanitarian aid delivered.
Observers and civilians alike worried that if the truce was not renewed, fighting could have erupted yet again between the Iran-backed Houthis and the Yemeni government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Renewing the truce is a step toward ending the senseless suffering of Yemenis, and shows that all parties involved are willing to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. Nevertheless, this truce was achieved in large part due to the flexibility of the Yemeni government. The Houthis will also have to make meaningful concessions - such as upholding their agreement to lift the siege of Taiz - before lasting peace can be achieved.
Despite hopes that the initial ceasefire would stop their aggression, the Saudi-led coalition has simply exploited it to further mobilize militants. To aggravate the situation, their forces and allies have frequently violated the truce, harming the Yemeni people. The Houthis are ready to stand by the truce, but such an agreement must improve Yemen's economic and humanitarian catastrophe.
The war in Yemen, now in its eighth year, is every bit as brutal as what's taking place in Ukraine, and both sides have violated the agreed ceasefire on numerous occasions. The West's failure to address this humanitarian disaster or cover it in the media with any sort of urgency says a lot about the world's inherent bias and who is considered worthy versus unworthy victims.