UN says Yemen's warring parties agree to renew truce

It has been the first nationwide truce in six years in Yemens conflict.The announcement, which is the outcome of UN continuous and concerted efforts, came only few hours before the original truce was set to expire later on Thursday.The fighting erupted in 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi rebels descended from their northern enclave and took over the capital of Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government to flee.

The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen said Thursday that Yemen's warring parties have agreed to renew a nationwide truce for another two months.

''I commend the parties for taking these steps, and for agreeing to extend the truce,'' Hans Grundberg said in a statement. ''The truce represents a significant shift in the trajectory of the war and has been achieved through responsible and courageous decision making by the parties." The ceasefire between Yemen's internationally recognized government and the Houthi rebels first came into effect on April 2. It has been the first nationwide truce in six years in Yemen's conflict.

The announcement, which is the outcome of UN continuous and concerted efforts, came only few hours before the original truce was set to expire later on Thursday.

The fighting erupted in 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi rebels descended from their northern enclave and took over the capital of Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government to flee. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in early 2015 to try to restore the government to power.

The provisions of the original truce included reopening the roads around Taiz, establishing two commercial flights a week between Sanaa and Jordan and Egypt, and also allowing 18 vessels carrying fuel into the port of Hodeida. Both Sanaa and Hodeida are controlled by the rebels.

Fighting, airstrikes and bombardment have subsided during the truce, which started in early April, and the rebels have ceased their cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the two pillars of the Saudi-led coalition.

Yemen's war has killed over 150,000 people, including over 14,500 civilians. It has created now one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.