The two sides have observed a cease-fire in Hodeida for nearly two weeks, ending months of fierce fighting for control of the city.
SANAA, Yemen — The United Nations cast doubt Sunday on claims by Yemen’s Shiite rebels to have withdrawn from the Red Sea port of Hodeida, saying such steps can only be credible if all other parties can verify them.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for U. N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the rebels, known as Houthis, also failed to honor an agreement to open a “humanitarian” corridor between Hodeida and the capital, Sanaa, to deliver assistance. Both cities are under rebel control.
He said retired Dutch Maj. Gen. Patrick Cammaert, who heads a U. N. team of monitors in Hodeida, has expressed his “disappointment at their missed opportunity to build confidence between the parties” in a meeting with rebel representatives about their failure to open the corridor.
The confidence-building measures agreed in Sweden this month, which include an exchange of prisoners, could pave the way for a political settlement of Yemen’s 4-year-old war, which pits the Iran-aligned Houthis against the government and a Saudi-led coalition.
