The Saudi-led coalition has said it is extending a unilateral ceasefire for one month to support efforts against the coronavirus pandemic, the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted a coalition spokesperson as saying on Friday.
The extension comes after a two-week ceasefire, announced by the coalition fighting the Houthi group, ended on Thursday.
However, the Houthis did not accept the coalition’s previous ceasefire, and violence has continued in several provinces. Fears have been raised that the war will grind on, shattering Yemen’s already weakened ability to combat the coronavirus.
The United Nations and Western allies have pointed to the threat posed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, urging the warring sides in Yemen to agree to new talks to end the war. Millions of people across the country have been made vulnerable to disease due to the ongoing hostilities severely affecting healthcare.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last month called for ceasefires in conflicts across the world to allow countries to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic.
