The last coordinated nationwide cessation of hostilities occurred during peace talks in 2016.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the ceasefire, which he said had “fuelled one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises”.
The war has killed tens of thousands and brought millions to the brink of starvation.
On Friday, Guterres commended “the Yemeni government, the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis for agreeing a two-month ceasefire in Yemen, including cross-border attacks.”
“The parties agreed to cease all offensive military air, ground and sea operations within and across Yemen; they also agreed that fuel ships will enter the ports of Hudaydah and commercial flights will operate to and from Sana’a Airport to predetermined destinations in Yemen’s region; they also agreed to meet under my auspices to open roads in Taiz and other governorates in Yemen,” UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said in a statement.
The ceasefire can be extended beyond the two-month period with the consent of the parties, Grundberg added.
The foreign minister of Yemen’s Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government said on Friday he would take steps to release prisoners, open Sana’a Airport and let oil ships through Hodeidah port.
“I received clear instructions from President Hadi to take (the) necessary steps to facilitate all arrangements for the release of all prisoners, to open Sana’a airport, to release oil ships via Hodeidah, to open roads in besieged Taiz to facilitate the… alleviate the suffering caused by the Houthis,” Ahmed bin Mubarak said on Twitter.
“We immediately announce the release of the first two fuel vessels through the Port of Hodeidah,” he added.
Underlining the importance of the ceasefire in his statement, Guterres said: “For more than seven years, the war has devastated the lives of millions of Yemeni women, children and men. The war has fueled one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, pushing state institutions to the brink of… collapse, resetting human development by two decades and threatening peace and security in the region.
“Today must be the beginning of a better future for the people of Yemen,” he said.