UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. envoy for Yemen announced Monday that the government and Houthi rebels have reached agreement on the military plan for the initial redeployment of forces from the key port of Hodeida. A Saudi-led coalition allied with the internationally-recognized government has been fighting the Houthis since 2015. Violations and lengthy delays in implementing the agreement reached in Sweden have been blamed by the U.N. and diplomats largely on the lack of trust. Nonetheless, there has been concerted international pressure on the parties to implement the Hodeida deal, which is widely seen as a crucial first step toward much more difficult negotiations to end the war. In some places in Hodeida city, the opposing forces are facing each other about 100 meters (yards) apart, the official said.

Source: Washington Post April 15, 2019 14:58 UTC