UN Security Council Welcomes Truce in Yemen, Hopes for Political Settlement

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - The UN Security Council issued a statement on Thursday saying that it welcomes the renewal of the truce in Yemen and hopes it will lead to a comprehensive political settlement, the Office of the Spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General said in a statement on Thursday.

"The members of the Security Council welcomed the 2 August renewal of the truce in Yemen, which remains the most significant opportunity for peace and the protection of civilians that Yemen has witnessed in years," the statement said.

The Security Council emphasized in the statement that the truce has provided a "stable foundation to progress with talks on economic and security tracks and to embark on in-depth and inclusive discussions on the political track."

In addition, the Security Council said it hopes the full implementation of the truce would provide an opportunity to reach an inclusive, comprehensive political settlement, the statement said.

The conflict between the Yemen government forces and the Ansar Allah movement - also known as the Houthi movement - worsened in 2015 after a Saudi-led coalition joined the conflict on the side of government and started conducting air, land and sea operations against the Houthis. The latter retaliated by attacking Saudi forces and firing missiles into Saudi Arabia.

In early April, a two-month ceasefire was declared under the auspices of the United Nations and supported by all parties to the conflict. When the truce expired, the United Nations Envoy for Yemen announced an extension of the truce under the same conditions as the original agreement.