This marks the first pause in Yemen’s nationwide fighting in the past six years, the official said, according to a statement released by his office.
The population has suffered unimaginable losses from this conflict, which is affecting all aspects of daily life, from the situation in the markets to the state of the roads, schools, hospitals and homes, he stressed.
Faced with this situation, Grundberg urged building a path to peace on the cessation of hostilities, which he believes is the shared responsibility of opposing parties, countries in the region, the United Nations and the international community.
“This is a rare opportunity in a long and brutal war to move towards a political solution,” he stressed.
The UN official assured that the majority of Yemenis are united in their desire to maintain and consolidate the ceasefire as a path to peace.
But he warned of reports of ceasefire violations, particularly in the strategy of Marib governorate, the epicenter of a Houthi rebel offensive more than a year ago.
The agreement came into force last Saturday after negotiations led by Grundberg.
The pact provides for the suspension of “all offensive air, land and sea military operations within and beyond Yemen.”
The last sentence refers to the militia’s systematic drone and missile attacks against targets in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, whose authorities support Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
Late last month, the Houthis announced a unilateral three-day ceasefire, to which the Saudi authorities responded with a similar one during celebrations of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month.
The war began in 2014 when the rebels took up arms and occupied large parts of the country, including the capital Sanaa.
The following year, a Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in the conflict to support Hadi.
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, two-thirds of the population, around 20 million people, are in need of humanitarian assistance and 80 percent live below the poverty line.
jf/rob