The UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, announced the extension of the armistice that began two months ago between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, and added in a statement that the extension will take place in accordance with the terms of the original armistice agreement that entered into force on the second of last April.
Hans Grundberg said that the extension will enter into force when the current truce expires at 7 pm today, Thursday, Yemen time.
He explained that the armistice represented a major shift in the course of the war, stressing the need to take additional steps in order to achieve its full potential, especially with regard to opening roads and operating commercial flights.
Under the truce, major military operations in Yemen and cross-border attacks in the seven-year war between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi group have stopped, helping to alleviate a humanitarian crisis that has starved millions.
The renewed agreement will also allow fuel ships to enter the port of Hodeidah and some commercial flights from the airport in the capital, Sanaa, and the port and airport are under the control of the Houthis.
For his part, US President Joe Biden on Thursday welcomed the extension of the truce, saying that Saudi Arabia had shown "courageous leadership" by ratifying and implementing the terms.
"The past two months in Yemen have been among the most peaceful periods since the terrible war began seven years ago, thanks to the armistice concluded in April," Biden said in a statement.
The US President also made it clear that Oman, Egypt and Jordan played a role that made the armistice process possible, adding, "The United States will remain involved in this process over the coming weeks and months" and will focus on deterring threats from friends and partners.
Save the deal
There were intense efforts to salvage the agreement after talks stalled on reopening major roads in the city of Taiz, which is disputed by both sides and has been under siege by Houthi forces for years.
It was supposed to allow two commercial flights from Sanaa a week, but disputes over the sources of passports reduced the number of these flights.
Yesterday, Wednesday, a Yemenia plane transported dozens of passengers from Sanaa to Cairo, in the first commercial flight between the two capitals since 2016.
This is the seventh commercial flight departing from the capital, Sanaa, since the start of the armistice, and the other six flights were between Sanaa and Amman in Jordan, and most of them transported Yemeni patients.
The United Nations is also seeking to initiate broader political discussions, including support for Yemen's devastated economy, government revenue, and public sector wages.
A Yemeni official stated that delegations from the Yemeni government and the Houthis are expected to return to the Jordanian capital, Amman, to continue the talks.