Yemen holds its breath as breakthrough truce begins

CAIRO－The first tankers carrying badly needed fuel arrived in Yemen's blockaded port of Hodeidah on Sunday, as a cease-fire meant to stop the fighting in the war-torn country for two months entered its first full day.

The truce, which took effect on Saturday evening, allows for shipments of fuel to arrive in Hodeidah and for passenger flights to resume from the airport in the capital Sanaa. Both Hodeidah and Sanaa are held by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

The agreement comes after a significant escalation in hostilities in recent weeks that saw the Houthis claim several attacks across the country's borders, targeting the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Essam al-Motwakel, a spokesman for the Houthi-run oil corporation, said the Saudi-led coalition allowed a vessel carrying mazut, a low-quality fuel oil, into the port at Hodeidah. The port handles about 70 percent of Yemen's commercial and humanitarian imports.

He called on United Nations envoy Hans Grundberg to work with the coalition and accelerate the arrival of other vessels to ease a longtime fuel crisis in Houthi-held areas.

During the two-month truce, the Saudi-led coalition will allow 18 vessels carrying fuel into the port of Hodeidah and two commercial flights a week from the Yemeni capital to Jordan and Egypt, according to a copy of the truce obtained by The Associated Press.

The UN said on Friday that Yemen's warring parties have agreed to a two-month truce on Saturday evening, the first day of Ramadan for many Muslims.

Friday's announcement brings a glimmer of hope in a brutal conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and left millions on the brink of famine in Yemen.

Cease-fire welcomed

UN chief Antonio Guterres welcomed the announcement, expressing hope for a "political process" to bring peace to the country.

Tim Lenderking, the United States' special envoy for Yemen, said the truce was a "first step" toward a permanent cease-fire.

The UAE also welcomed the announcement, reported state news agency WAM on Saturday.

Iran's Foreign Ministry also expressed the country's welcome of the initiative to suspend military operations for two months in Yemen.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh expressed hope that the peace initiative can be a prelude to completely lifting the siege on the Yemeni people and the establishment of a permanent cease-fire to find a political solution to the crisis.

As the truce entered its first full day on Sunday, The Associated Press spoke to a half dozen Yemenis who hoped the truce would not collapse as other cease-fires have.

"It's good, but we learned from past experience that it could collapse anytime," said Amer al-Hubani, a civil servant in the city of Taiz. "We hope things move smoothly this time."

The conflict in Yemen has spawned the world's worst humanitarian crisis, leaving millions suffering from food and medical shortages. It has killed over 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, according to a database project that tracks violence.

Separately, a fire broke out on Sunday in a camp near Marib, killing at least seven people, said Saleh Nasser, head of a local coordination office for displaced people.

Agencies - Xinhua