UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg called on the parties to the conflict in Yemen to extend the current truce, which expires next week, noting that “we are seeing a positive impact of the truce on the daily lives of Yemenis.”

In a statement, he stressed: “The parties must renew the truce to ensure the continuity of these benefits and their strengthening for the Yemeni people, who have been suffering as a result of war for more than seven years,” adding that “the truce provided a window to break the vicious cycle of violence and past suffering to move towards a peaceful future in Yemen.

Grundberg’s comments came as consultations began in the Jordanian capital, Amman, between representatives of Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Houthis (who control the capital, Sana’a) to open roads in the city of Taiz in southwestern Yemen. On April 2, a truce for a period of two months came into force through the mediation of the United Nations. The agreement includes allowing commercial flights from Sana’a International Airport, which has only been open to aid flights since 2016, representing a rare glimmer of hope in a conflict after a devastating war.