Temporary cease-fire holds in Yemen despite reports of Houthi attacks
by Begüm Tunakan
ISTANBULMay 14, 2015 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Begüm Tunakan
May 14, 2015 12:00 am
A five-day humanitarian truce in Yemen appeared to be broadly holding on Wednesday, despite reports of continued violence by the country's dominant Houthi rebel group in the east of the country. The cease-fire was agreed to provide a corridor for civilians who are in desperate need of humanitarian aid. In the first day of a temporary cease-fire, both sides accused each other of breaching the truce. The Saudi defense ministry reported rockets from Yemen's rebel-held north hit Saudi border areas.
Indiscriminate attacks targeting civilians by Houthis rebels were condemned by Human Rights Watch (HRW), which urged pro-Houthi forces to stop "using unguided rockets against populated areas." "Pro-Houthi forces are killing and wounding Saudi civilians with artillery rockets that cannot be aimed at valid military targets," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director of HRW. "Houthi commanders need to stop their indiscriminate attacks or they can be liable for war crimes." Artillery rockets have been fired from northern Yemen into southern Saudi Arabia since May 5, killing at least 12 civilians, HRW reported. The human rights watchdog also called on governments providing financial or military aid to the Houthis and other Yemeni armed groups to "abide by the laws of war, including the prohibition on indiscriminate attacks."
The Saudi-led U.S.-backed alliance continues to pound Houthi targets as part of Operation Decisive Storm, which was launched on March 26, to halt the Houthis advance. The coalition includes Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates, who have conducted numerous airstrikes throughout Yemen against Houthi forces. Operation Decisive Storm ended on April 21 and immediately afterwards, Operation Restore Hope was launched by the Saudi-coalition. The intense fighting has come with a heavy toll on the civilian population in an already fragile humanitarian situation. At least 828 civilians have died as a result of the conflict, and more than 300,000 have been displaced, according to U.N. figures. More than 250,000 refugees in Yemen were caught up in the ongoing conflict, becoming victims of war.
The capital Sanaa has been under Houthi rebel control since September last year. Since then, Iran-allied Shiite Houthis have made significant gains while taking northern Yemen. They have been expanding their territory, clashing with President Hadi's loyalists, local tribes and radical groups including al-Qaida on the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which also pose a significant security threat to the country's political stability.
The country has long suffered from political instability and insecurity due to threats posed by various militant groups. Since former President Ali Abdullah Saleh stepped down in 2012, ending his 33-year rule, the country has been in a state of constant turmoil. In addition to clashes between government forces and Houthi militants, the rival militant groups, al-Qaida and the Houthi rebels, have fought a bloody battle to gain control over several places.
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