The Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels have not reached an agreement to extend the truce in force for six months, the United Nations (UN) announced on Sunday (October 2).

Yemen has been ravaged since 2014 by a conflict between Houthi rebels, close to Iran, and government forces, supported by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

In a statement, the UN special envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said he "regrets that an agreement was not reached today, when a prolongation and extension of the truce would have brought more significant benefits to the population".

The Swedish diplomat claimed to have submitted to the belligerents a proposal to extend the truce for a period of six additional months with "new elements".

He thanked the Yemeni government for reacting "positively" to his proposals.

On the other hand, the Houthi rebels judged that they did not respond "to the aspirations of the Yemeni people", threatening to resume their attacks against the member countries of the coalition.

"Our armed forces will not stand idly by if the aggression and blockade continue," the rebels' Supreme Political Council warned in a statement, threatening to target "airports, ports and oil companies of enemy countries."

Stressing that the negotiations were continuing, Hans Grundberg called on all parties to remain calm and to avoid "any provocation or action which could lead to an escalation of violence".

The director of the NGO Norwegian Refugee Council, Erin Hutchinson, lamented "a missed opportunity that could have helped millions of civilians out of a violent war", calling on the belligerents to reconsider their decision.

Fear of renewed attacks

Since April 2, two-month ceasefires, renewed twice, have relatively calmed the lives of Yemenis, facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world due to the conflict.

The non-renewal of the truce raises fears of a resumption of violence in Yemen, the insurgents having threatened to relaunch attacks against the member countries of the coalition.

The Houthis have carried out numerous missile and drone attacks in Saudi Arabia in the past, as well as in the United Arab Emirates.

The latest, last March, had affected the facilities of the oil giant Aramco, in Saudi Arabia, causing a gigantic fire.

"Anything is possible," rebel spokesman Yehya Sari wrote on Twitter.

During the day, sporadic clashes took place in the south-west of the country, government military sources told AFP.

The Houthis have increased their military presence over the past few hours in the strategic Marib region, the sources added.

Improvements during the truce

In addition to a ceasefire, the truce provided for a series of humanitarian measures, some of which were not implemented, the two parties accusing each other of not respecting their commitments.

The agreement nevertheless allowed the partial reopening of the airport of Sanaa, the capital controlled by the Houthis, and a smoother delivery of goods, fuels and humanitarian aid on which two thirds of the population of approximately 30 depend. millions of inhabitants.

According to the UN, the war in Yemen has left hundreds of thousands dead, millions displaced, and plunged two-thirds of the population into need of aid, with a situation close to a large-scale famine.

With AFP

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