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Saudi-led coalition against Yemen's Houthis announces 5-day humanitarian truce

Xinhua, July 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

Saudi-led coalition announced on Saturday a five-day humanitarian truce with Yemen's Shiite Houthi group that will start on Sunday, Saudi Press Agency reported.

According to the report, the temporary cease-fire was taken in response to the request of exiled Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi through a letter addressed to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

However, the coalition said if the Houthi fighters and forces loyal to them refuses to stop military action during the truce, then they will be confronted with continued air and maritime blockade, as well as aerial reconnaissance.

It is not the first time that such short humanitarian truce are announced, yet previous ones were proven to be only shaky as no side truly laid down their arms and honored the agreement. And so far, there is no comments from the Houthis on the latest truce proposal.

The coalition has been engaged in a war against the Houthis since late March to restore the rule of President Hadi in the country, most of which is now under the control of the Houthis.

After more than three months of airstrikes and civil war, humanitarian disaster emerged in Yemen as about 80 percent of its 24 million population are in need of aid. More than 3,000 people have been killed and more than one million displaced.

The United Nations announced a cease-fire last week that was expected to last through the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on July 17 to allow delivery of aid to Yemeni cities desperately short of food, medicine and other necessities. However, no warring parties were abided by the truce. Enditem