U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised the extension of the Yemen truce in a tweet on June 2, the date an initial truce was set to expire.
All parties agreed on an extension through diplomatic negotiations that have been going on for days, according to a State Department news release.
“We welcome [the] announcement by the @UN on the extension of the truce in Yemen. This extension is another important step forward toward peace and will bring further relief to millions of Yemenis,” Blinken said in a tweet.
Blinken said the truce marks an “important step” toward peace and relief for the millions of Yemenis who have been affected by the country's brutal civil war, the release reported. The initial two-month truce caused a major decrease in civilian deaths and increased access to fuel and goods.
No word has been given on what led to the last-minute decision to extend the truce, Al Jazeera reported in an article June 2. Not all aspects of the truce have been fully implemented. One of the conditions was that the Iran-backed Houthis end their blockade on the city of Taiz.
The Houthis have blockaded Taiz since 2015, Al Jazeera reported, which has caused Yemenis to take dangerous back routes through the mountains.
Fighting in Marib continued throughout truce, although it has quieted, Al Jazeera reported. The last major city under control by the Yemeni government, Marib has become a safe haven for refugees, sheltering hundreds of thousands of people.
Houthi forces continued to construct new trenches and positions and have mobilized new forces and heavy equipment to the area, according to Al Jazeera. The truce has benefited citizens as the number of Yemenis killed and injured in the first month of the truce has dropped 50%.
