UN Security Council in talks on saving Yemen truce deal
The United Nations Security Council met behind closed doors with the world body's envoy for Yemen on Wednesday in an attempt to salvage a stalled truce deal seen as crucial to diplomatic efforts to end the war.
Yemen's government and its Saudi and Emirati allies agreed in talks with Huthi rebels nearly a month ago to begin a redeployment of forces from the flashpoint city of Hodeida, but nothing has happened on the ground.
UN envoy Martin Griffiths had told the council on February 19 that the initial stage of the pullback would happen in the following days, marking the first concrete step toward de-escalation.
The redeployment was initially agreed in December under a ceasefire deal reached in Sweden seen as a breakthrough toward ending the devastating war that has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine.
UN diplomats said the Huthis were refusing to pull away from the ports of Saleef and Ras Issa as agreed due to fears that forces linked to the Saudi-led coalition will move in to take ...