国际英语新闻:Yemeni warring sides meet on UN ship to discuss Hodeidah ceasefire

ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Representatives from Yemen's government and the Houthis tasked with monitoring a ceasefire brokered by the United Nations met on Wednesday on a ship on the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

An official of the military forces in Hodeidah told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that "representatives of the two-warring sides boarded a ship and jointly participated in a meeting chaired by General Abhijit Goha, head of the UN's mission in Hodeidah."

He said that a delegation of Yemen's government led by Major General Mohammed Aida attended the meeting with another delegation representing the Houthi rebels.

The source pointed out that "Wednesday's meeting is the seventh of its kind and held onboard a UN ship on the Red Sea due to the inability of the government delegation to enter the Houthi-controlled city of Hodeidah."

Another source of the government's delegation told Xinhua anonymously that "the meeting will continue for two days on the UN ship to discuss the second phase of the military redeployment and implementing the ceasefire deal in Hodeidah."

Discussing the opening of humanitarian corridors to deliver food aids to civilians in different war-torn areas of Hodeidah will be included in the meeting, he said.

In October, the United Nations started deploying cease-fire observers in Hodeidah, establishing five observation points near the military contact lines between the two warring parties.

The observation points are manned by liaison officers from both parties in accordance with the cease-fire agreement reached last year in Sweden that also called on both warring sides to move forces away from ports and parts of the strategic city.

However, sporadic exchange of gunfire and artillery shelling continued to rock the strategic port city despite the presence of the cease-fire observers.

As the main Yemeni port city along the coast of the Red Sea, Hodeidah is the key lifeline entry of most Yemen's commercial imports and humanitarian aid.

The grinding war of more than five years has pushed over 20 million people to the verge of starvation.

The Iran-allied Houthis control much of Hodeidah while the Saudi-backed government troops have advanced to its southeastern districts.

The cease-fire deal in Stockholm was seen as the first phase toward achieving a comprehensive political solution to the civil war.