UN Humanitarian Convoy Reaches War-Hit Yemeni City of Taizz

A large UN convoy, carrying essential humanitarian supplies, reached the most affected districts of the city of Taizz in Yemen and will start distributing assistance to those in need in the coming days, according to a spokesman for the Geneva United Nations Office.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Humanitarian convoy of the United Nations has reached the city of Taizz in southern Yemen, a spokesman for the Geneva United Nations Office said in a statement released on Thursday.

On Tuesday, a seven-day ceasefire between the Saudi-led international coalition and the Yemeni Houthi rebels was enforced for the time of the intra-Yemeni talks in Geneva, which are expected to continue until Sunday.

"A large UN convoy, carrying essential humanitarian supplies, reached the most affected districts of the city of Taizz and will start distributing assistance to those in need in the coming days," the statement reads.

The UN Office added that humanitarian assistance will also reach Hajja, Saada and other deprived Yemeni cities in the coming days.

Since 2014, Yemen has been in a state of military conflict, between the government headed by Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and Houthi rebels, supported by army units loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

In late March, a Saudi-led coalition started carrying out airstrikes against Houthi positions at Hadi’s request.