Houthi militia warn Yemen truce at “dead end”

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said the ceasefire in the country is at “a dead end”, a day before the UN-mediated truce is set to expire on Sunday. They are accusing the Saudi-led coalition of stalling in negotiations on measures that would “alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people”.

On Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to discuss the expiration of the truce.

Mr Blinken "welcomed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to extending the truce and its efforts to help secure an expansion of the truce with its life-saving benefits for millions of Yemenis", said his spokesman Ned Price.

Mr Blinken said benefits of the expanded truce would include paying teachers, nurses and other civil servants who have not been paid in years, expanding flights from Sanaa, opening roads in Taez and elsewhere, and ensuring the continued flow of fuel.

On Friday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged Yemen's parties to renew an existing truce and to expand it. “I strongly urge the Yemeni parties not only to renew but also to expand the truce’s terms and duration, in line with the proposal presented to them by my special envoy, Hans Grundberg,” Mr Guterres said.

Mr Guterres called for an agreement that would reopen roads in Taez and other governorates and the payment of civil service salaries, which would further improve the day-to-day life of Yemenis.

Britain's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Saturday that Yemen must not return to conflict, calling on the Houthis to return to negotiations before the expiry of the agreement.

Yemen's war between the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition since 2014 has left hundreds of thousands dead.  It has created what the UN has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. 

The temporary ceasefire took effect in April and has twice been renewed. Yemen's UN envoy Hans Grundberg has been working to extend it again. The warring sides have largely ceased fire, and the truce has also allowed for some humanitarian measures. Each side accuses the other of failing to live up to their commitments.