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EPA
The UN had called on both sides to end the fighting and increase efforts to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.
According to officials, a Saudi-led coalition fighting against Houthi forces in Yemen has declared a ceasefire.
Sources told the BBC that the ceasefire will go into effect on Thursday in support of UN efforts to end the five-year war.
The coalition, backed by Western military powers, has been fighting Iran-aligned Houthi forces since March 2015.
It is unclear whether Houthi forces will also observe the ceasefire.
Last month, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged people in Yemen to stop fighting and step up efforts to counter a possible coronavirus outbreak.
He called on the parties in the country to work with his special envoy Martin Griffiths to achieve a reduction at the national level.
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On Wednesday, Mr. Griffiths welcomes the ceasefire news in a statement.
He said: “The parties must now seize this opportunity and immediately cease all hostilities with the utmost urgency.”
Both sides are expected to participate in a video conference to discuss the ceasefire. The proposal calls for the stopping of all air, land and naval hostilities.
A statement by coalition forces said: “On the occasion of sustaining and succeeding the efforts of the UN envoy to Yemen and alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni fraternal people and working to confront the crown pandemic and prevent its Propagate, the coalition announces a comprehensive ceasefire for a two-week period, beginning Thursday. “
The situation in Yemen has long been described as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. The war has cost many civilian lives and has left the country on the verge of collapse.
The UN has negotiated talks in the past, but this will be the first time that the coalition has announced a ceasefire across the country.
Mohammed Abdulsalam, a spokesman for the Houthi movement, said his group had presented a vision to the UN that includes an end to the war and the “blockade” in Yemen.
A significant move
This is Saudi Arabia’s most significant move to try to find a way out of its costly military campaign in Yemen.
The coalition statement suggests that its unilateral ceasefire was triggered by the very real threat posed by the coronavirus in a country whose health system is barely functioning.
But another wake-up call dates back to last September when the Kingdom’s vital oil facilities were attacked in a spectacular attack blamed on Iran.
Saudi Arabia shifted gears, embarked on secret talks with senior Houthi officials to secure their border, end Houthi missile attacks on its territory, and attempt to distance them from Iran.
But in recent months, Houthi forces have continued to advance militarily, encouraging more aggressive Houthi elements.
Sources say top Houthi leaders support the negotiated end of this war. But they are also investigating.
Even if the UN talks begin, it will be a long time before they finish with the political solution that Yemen desperately needs.
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