U.N. Council Urges Yemen’s Warring Parties to Withdraw Troops from Hodeidah, Reported by Reuters

The United Nations Security Council called upon the conflicting parties in Yemen on Monday to promptly withdraw their forces from the main port city of Hodeidah, as well as two other ports, without any further delays.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric reported that representatives from both factions convened for a second day aboard a vessel in the Red Sea as part of a U.N.-led initiative aimed at executing the stalled troop withdrawal agreed upon during talks in Sweden last December.

Dujarric stated, “Both parties have reiterated their commitment to implementing the Hodeidah aspects of the Stockholm agreement.”

Originally, the withdrawal was intended to take place by January 7 as a critical step toward preventing a full-scale assault on Hodeidah; however, progress has stalled due to disagreements over control of the city and ports between the Iranian-aligned Houthi group and the Saudi-backed government.

A coalition of Sunni Muslim Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, intervened in Yemen in 2015 to reinstate the government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, which had been ousted by the Houthis in 2014.

Although a truce has mostly been maintained in Hodeidah, recent weeks have seen an uptick in clashes. Meanwhile, violence persists in other regions of the country not covered by the ceasefire agreement.

In a statement on Monday, the U.N. Security Council, comprising 15 members, expressed concern over allegations of ceasefire violations. A letter from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen to the council on January 31 claimed that the Houthis had committed 970 violations since December 18.

The Security Council urged all parties to seize this opportunity for sustainable peace by exercising restraint, reducing tensions, honoring their commitments under the Stockholm Agreement, and advancing swift implementation of its terms.

Furthermore, the council requested U.N. envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, to keep them informed of developments closely, allowing them to consider additional actions as needed to support a political resolution.