Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Begin Withdrawal From Key Port

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Begin Withdrawal From Key Port by Sune Engel Rasmussen and Saleh al-Batati – Wall Street Journal

Houthi rebels in Yemen began to withdraw fighters from the country’s most strategic port city, a move that, if completed, would mark a significant step toward salvaging a peace deal that hasn’t been implemented since it was brokered by the U.N. in December.

The rebels, who have waged a yearslong insurgency against the internationally recognized Yemeni government, said Friday they would begin Saturday a four-day drawdown from three of the country’s ports, including the Red Sea city of Hodeidah.

The hope is such a move would allow vital humanitarian access to a population that has for years struggled with disease and famine caused by the country’s war. Hodeidah is a main entry point for food and humanitarian aid into Yemen, which shares its northern border with Saudi Arabia.

Yemen’s Saudi-backed government warned that the Houthis might attempt to mislead the international community before the next U.N. Security Council consultations on Yemen on Wednesday…

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