Yemeni government and Houthis agree to ease tensions by easing economic sanctions

UN says deal affects exchange of punitive measures in banking sector and Yemenia Airways

Jul 23. (EUROPA PRESS) –

Yemen’s internationally recognised government and Houthi rebels have reached an agreement to ease tensions by ending their exchange of sanctions to try to seize control of the country’s financial institutions, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg has revealed that the parties informed him on Monday of an agreement on “multiple measures” to ease tensions related to the banking sector and the airline Yemenia Airways.

The parties have agreed to “cancel all recent decisions and proceedings against banks and avoid similar decisions and proceedings in the future,” as well as to resume Yemenia Airways flights between the capital Sana’a and Jordan, and to operate flights to Egypt and India.

The agreement published by Grundberg also provides for the convening of meetings to “address administrative, technical and financial challenges” faced by the airline and to set up meetings to “discuss all economic and humanitarian issues” based on the “road map” set out to end the conflict.

Grundberg’s office said in a statement posted on its website that “the parties have requested the support of the UN in materialising their commitments” and highlighted the “significant” role played by Saudi Arabia in pushing through the agreement.

He has thus shown the UN’s willingness to work with internationally recognised authorities and the rebels and has offered its support for communications with Jordan, Egypt and India, while stressing the need for the parties to “collaborate” for “an economy that benefits all Yemenis and supports the implementation of a national ceasefire in view of the resumption of an inclusive political process.”

The war in Yemen, which began in 2015, has plunged what was once one of the poorest countries in the world into one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes of today, according to the United Nations. Efforts to push for a peace agreement between the rebels and the internationally recognised authorities, supported militarily by Riyadh, have so far failed to achieve a peace deal.

The agreement was announced just days after the Houthis carried out a drone attack on the Israeli city of Tel Aviv that left one dead, as part of their operations against the country and shipping in response to the offensive launched by Israel against the Gaza Strip following the attacks carried out on October 7 by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and other Palestinian factions.

The Israeli Air Force then carried out a series of airstrikes against the port city of Hodeida, described by Israeli authorities as a gateway for weapons sent by Iran to the rebels and therefore a “legitimate military target.” The attacks on the town left at least six dead and dozens wounded, according to the Houthis.