Situation in Yemen Remains ‘Fragile’ Despite Ceasefire – Russian UN Envoy

The situation in Yemen remains “fragile” despite a 5-day humanitarian pause declared by Riyadh, Russian UN Envoy Vitaly Churkin said Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The humanitarian pause came into effect at 11 p.m. local time (20:00 GMT) on Tuesday and was intended to assist the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilian population in Yemen.

Earlier in the day, both sides of the conflict accused each other of violating the ceasefire, according to media reports.

“It's all very fragile there [in Yemen]. We call for an immediate ceasefire, for urgent response of the UN Secretary-General and his special envoy, so that they urgently convene a meeting of all sides involved in the Yemeni conflict and conclude negotiations that have been going on for months,” Churkin said in the interview with Rossiya-24 television.

Churkin expressed concerns that as a result of the military standoff between forces loyal to ousted Yemeni President Rabbuh Abd Mansur Hadi backed by the coalition of Arab states and Shiite Houthis some terrorist groups are gaining foothold in Yemen.

On March 26, the Arab coalition at President Hadi's request started to conduct airstrikes against the Houthis who had seized large parts of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

In late April, the coalition announced a cessation of bombings and pledged to focus on reviving dialogue between the conflicting sides in Yemen. Nevertheless, the airstrikes have continued.