A two-week cease-fire has been declared by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen. The cease-fire followed calls from the United Nations to suspend hostilities amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The Saudi deputy defense minister said Thursday he hoped the suspension would "create a more effective climate to deescalate tensions" and work toward a peace agreement. He added that Saudi Arabia would contribute $500 million toward U.N. relief efforts in Yemen and $25 million toward fighting the virus.
The Houthis, however, have questioned the motivation behind the cease-fire, with a spokesman describing it as a disingenuous attempt by the coalition to restore its military positions. The spokesman told Al Jazeera English that attacks against coalition targets would continue until the years-long siege is lifted.
Mohammed Al Bukhaiti: "It is nothing but a continuation of war. The coalition is just manipulating words — either a total cease and halt of hostilities and end to the siege, or the war will continue."
The five-year war has resulted in a humanitarian crisis in Yemen and is widely considered a proxy battle between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Yemen has yet to record any cases of the coronavirus but has been gripped by a deadly cholera epidemic.
The U.N. says nearly half of Yemen's medical facilities are functioning in a reduced capacity or aren't functioning at all. Those problems could be compounded should the virus take hold there and further compromise the country's devastated health care system.
Contains footage from CNN.
