Yemen's Houthis to start Hodeidah withdrawal on Saturday - U.N.

Yemen's Houthi group intends to withdraw forces from three key ports in Yemen over four days, starting on Saturday, said a senior United Nations official in charge of monitoring the move. The Iran-aligned Houthi movement and the Saudi-backed Yemen government initially agreed in December to withdraw troops by Jan. 7 from Hodeidah - a lifeline for millions facing famine - under a truce aimed at averting a full-scale assault on the port and paving the way for negotiations to end the four-year war.

Lt. Gen. Michael Lollesgaard, who heads a U.N. mission to monitor the deal, said the Houthis intended to start withdrawing on Saturday from the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras-Issa. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)