Amman meeting to discuss reopening roads in Taiz, other governorates

• 

The Jordanian capital of Amman witnessed on Wednesday the beginning of a four-day meeting between representatives of Yemen's Aden and Sanaa governments, which will mainly deal with the reopening of roads in Taiz and other governorates.

The meeting was sponsored by the UN Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, who said during the meeting that "the parties are fulfilling a commitment they made under the truce to work on an agreement that will reduce the suffering of Yemenis in Taiz and other governorates."

The UN envoy said that talks between the two sides to reopen roads are a collective victory for Yemen.

“We want to support the parties in setting them on a path that would take Yemen out of a cycle of violence that has severely restricted people’s freedom of movement for more than seven years,” he added.

Grundberg, called last Tuesday for extending the armistice between the Saudi-led coalition and the Sanaa government, which is set to expire in two weeks. 

At the end of a closed UN Security Council meeting, Grundberg claimed that the renewable two-month truce that went into effect in early April has made a "considerable positive impact on the daily lives of many Yemenis."

"Over the past six weeks, civilian casualties have dropped considerably, fighting has sharply reduced with no aerial attacks from Yemen across its borders and no confirmed airstrikes inside Yemen," he claimed, completely overlooking the Saudi-led violations recorded on a daily basis. 

Cannot accept truce in which the suffering of Yemenis continues

Al-Mashat confirmed that the Saudi-led coalition of aggression and its mercenaries have committed thousands of violations since the armistice entered into force, including more than 35 attempted military advances.

He noted that among the violations were more than 2,000 missile and artillery bombardments, including 13 airstrikes.

The head of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen, Mahdi Al-Mashat, explained that the coalition obstructed the route of flights to their destinations - with the exception of two flights only - and obstructed the movement of ships.

He underscored that the Supreme Political Council is not against extending the armistice, but noted that it is not possible to accept any truce in which the suffering of Yemenis continues.