UN seeks to extend and expand Yemen truce with 4-point plan

By Betul Yuruk

UNITED NATIONS (AA) - The UN proposed on Monday to expand and extend the truce in Yemen beyond Oct. 2 with a four-point plan, including the opening of additional roads in Taiz and regular flow of fuel to the port of Hudaydah.

The Yemeni government and Houthi rebels agreed earlier in the month to extend the truce for an additional two months through Oct. 2. The cease-fire allowed the resumption of commercial flights from the rebel-held Sanaa Airport in the Yemeni capital after six years.

UN envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg told the UN Security Council that the truce continues to broadly hold in military terms.

"We continue to see a significant decline in civilian casualties, with the first week of August seeing the lowest civilian casualty count since the start of the truce and since the beginning of the war," he said.

"Most civilian casualties continue to be a result of explosive remnants of warfare, including landmines and unexploded ordnance."

However, he warned of a rise in child casualties, which now constitute almost 40% of reported civilian casualties.

He also said an expanded agreement would address additional humanitarian and economic issues, and create a more conducive environment for the resumption of peace talks.

The UN proposal for the expanded truce includes regular payment of civil servant salaries and pensions, the opening of additional roads in the southwestern city of Taiz and other governorates, as well as additional destinations to and from Sanaa's international airport, and the regular flow of fuel to the port of Hudaydah.

Yemen's civil war began in September 2014, when Iranian-backed Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including Sanaa.

A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia entered the war in early 2015 to restore the Yemeni government to power.

The eight-year conflict has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with millions risking starvation.