Yemen war: Ceasefire takes effect in Hudaydah after skirmishes
Fighting between Yemeni pro-government forces and
Houthi rebels in the city of Hudaydah has reportedly subsided, after a
ceasefire came into effect overnight.
Skirmishes continued for several hours following the
start of the UN-brokered truce at midnight, but locals now say it is relatively
calm.
UN envoy Martin Griffiths said the initiative seemed
to be working so far.
The battle for Hudaydah threatened the operation of
its port, which is crucial to the delivery of aid supplies.
Half of the war-torn country's population - 14
million people - are on the brink of famine and an estimated 85,000 children
may have died from malnutrition.
Yemen has been devastated by a conflict that
escalated in early 2015, when the Houthis seized control of much of the west of
the country, including the capital Sanaa, and forced President Abdrabbuh
Mansour Hadi to flee abroad.
Alarmed by the rise of a group they saw as an
Iranian proxy, Saudi Arabia and eight other Arab states intervened in an
attempt to restore the government.
