Yemen’s truce violations are at an extreme level, UN says

The UN Envoy for Yemen expressed concern on Wednesday about violations of a cease-fire in the war-wrecked country, in terms of upholding the first nationwide truce in six years, the UN reports.

According to the report, Hans Grundberg, the UN Envoy, said that while the truce has led to “significant reduction of violence” in Yemen, there were reports of “some hostile military activities,” particularly around the central city of Marib.

“This truce is a step, an important one, but a fragile step, nonetheless,” he said. “We need to make the best possible use of the window this truce gives us to work towards ending the conflict.”

For more than one year, the Houthi rebels in Yemen have been trying to capture the energy-rich Marib from government forces.

Yemen’s civil war started in 2014, when the Iranian-backed Houthis seized the capital of Sana’a and forced the government into exile. The Saudi-led coalition entered the war in early 2015 to try to restore the government to power.

READ: Yemen: Calls for UN to include 4 journalists detained by Houthis in prisoner swap