MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition called for a five-day truce with Houthi rebels in Yemen to allow for humanitarian aid to be delivered to the struggling population. The UN backed the ceasefire.
"The Secretary-General calls on all parties to the conflict to suspend military operations during the pause and refrain from exploiting the pause to move weapons or seize territory," the organization said in a statement late Sunday.
Ban has appealed to the Saudi forces, pro-government troops and rebels to "exercise maximum restraint in cases of isolated violations and to avoid escalation."
Earlier on Sunday, Yemeni forces loyal to the country’s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh said they would not back the ceasefire as they accused the coalition of planning to use it to regroup.
Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between Houthis, the country’s main opposition faction, and government forces. Last year, Houthis overran the nation’s capital Sanaa and spread over most of the Yemeni territory, forcing President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee to Saudi Arabia.
