The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began on Sunday, and the people of Yemen, a small nation on the Arabian peninsula, are enjoying a long-awaited ceasefire.
The war in Yemen is entering its seventh year. IN just the first two months of 2022, 47 children were reported killed in a civil war that is being fueled and sponsored by outside countries. The UN reports that over 250,000 civilians have been killed in the war since it began.
The United Nations has brokered a deal that will create a ceasefire, the first since the war started, that should last for two months. This will allow citizens to not only celebrate their most holy time of the year but also get supplies, including oil and gas, and possibly rebuild.
The Yemeni war has spilled over into neighboring Saudi Arabia and other countries as warring factions move through the borders in and out in attest to gain strategic advantage.
The UN hopes that this prolonged period of peace will give both sides some cool-down time and lead to a lasting agreement.
“The aim of this truce is to give Yemenis a necessary break from violence, relief from humanitarian suffering, and most importantly hope that an end to this conflict is possible,” UN special envoy Hans Grundberg said.
The ceasefire will also allow the first commercial flights in years out of the country. Destinations for the airplanes have been predetermined and might be limited. There’s also a commitment between the worrying factions to open roads to some cities that have been cut off and besieged for years.
Bob Peryea
National Correspondent
The Kentucky Daily
Photo by Mohammad Hadi: https://www.pexels.com/photo/palm-trees-and-buildings-in-yemen-11201283/