he United Nation's newly appointed

he United Nation's newly appointed Yemen envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, arrived in the war-battered country just as a humanitarian ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday (May 13), paving the way for aid to be delivered to the millions of Yemenis in need.
"We have come to prepare for the humanitarian ceasefire that was announced. There is a team of humanitarian aid agencies from UNICEF and the World Health Organization, and other organisations including the head of the humanitarian coordination team who will be coming," said the Mauritinian diplomat on arrival at Sanaa airport.
The ceasefire began at 11 p.m. (2000 GMT), Monday (May 12), said Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri, spokesman for a Saudi-led coalition that has been striking Yemen's Houthi rebels since March 26, but clashes persisted after that in some areas.
It is intended to allow the shipment of food and medicine to the country, which aid groups warn faces a humanitarian catastrophe after more than seven weeks of war but it will end if the Houthis do not also lay down arms, Riyadh has warned.
The UN envoy said his current mission in Yemen was to ensure the smooth delivery of aid into the country, and warned that the ceasefire should be unconditional and benefit all parties to the conflict.
"We welcome the truce and we want it to happen," said Ahmed adding that "with regard to the humanitarian crisis, first, this ceasefire must be unconditional. And second, we must be able to deliver aid and assistance to all Yemenis from the south to the north, from the east to the west."
Backed by the United States, top oil exporter Saudi Arabia worries that the Shiite Muslim Houthi rebels are a proxy for what they see as moves by arch-rival Iran to expand its influence in the predominantly Sunni-ruled Arabian peninsula.
Iran is an ally of the Houthi movement, Yemen's most powerful political faction which the coalition accuses of toppling the rightful government, headed by exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
Hoping to ensure the truce is not violated by any of the parties, Ahmed cautioned that Yemen's only path to peace lies in dialogue.
"With regard to our current humanitarian visit (to Yemen) we came convinced that there is no solution except a political solution," he said, adding that "Yemen has no choice but to have all the different sides sit at the table to find a solution through Yemeni dialogue," he said.
According to the UN, more than 1,500 people have been killed in the conflict, and more than 6,000 have been wounded.