Yemen's warring parties have agreed to a ceasefire in Hodeidah, a major flashpoint in the country's war, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday.
The besieged rebel-held port city is an entry point for 70% of foreign humanitarian aid into the country, according to the United Nations, which has described Hodeidah as a "lifeline" for Yemen's war-ravaged population.
"We have reached an agreement on Hodeidah port and city which will see a mutual redeployment of forces from the port and the city and an establishment of governorate-wide ceasefire," Guterres said. "UN will play a leading role in the port, and this will facilitate humanitarian access."
The ceasefire announcement came at the conclusion of the first direct talks in more than two years between representatives of Yemen's internationally recognized government, which Saudi Arabia supports, and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
International pressure has intensified for a ceasefire as the humanitarian crisis worsens in Yemen after more than three years of war. - CNN