Yemen’s ceasefire period is approaching as the wait for peace drags on

As a ceasefire deadline nears in war-ravaged Yemen, civilians are hoping the ceasefire will be extended – fearing renewed fighting would undo the small gains they have made.

In the rebel-held capital of Sanaa, agronomist Loujain al-Ouazir has been working for three years raising goats and poultry on a farm atop one of the ancient city’s iconic adobe tower houses.

Ouazir has only managed to make the farm prosperous in the last few months as the truce allowed free flow of goods and lowered the prices of supplies.

“Thanks to the ceasefire, animal feed and fuel prices have fallen,” Ouazir said.

The war in Yemen between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition has left hundreds of thousands dead and sparked what the United Nations is calling the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

A United Nations-brokered ceasefire that took effect in April and has been renewed twice has reduced casualties by 60 percent and quadrupled fuel imports into the rebel-held port of Hodeida, more than 40 humanitarian groups said on Thursday.

The truce has largely held, although the rival sides have shared blame for violations.

On Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on both sides to extend the ceasefire.

“I urge the Yemeni parties not only to renew but also to extend the terms and duration of the ceasefire,” its spokesman said in a statement.

Ouazir said the relative peace — particularly an end to airstrikes in Sana’a — has created a safer environment for her milk and egg-selling business.

“I hope the truce lasts until the war stops completely,” she said, adding that she dreamed of expanding her farm “on the ground and not on the roof of the house.”

The ceasefire is due to expire on Sunday and the UN is working to ensure each side agrees to extend it again.

As part of the ceasefire, commercial flights from the rebel-held capital Sana’a to Jordan and Egypt have resumed, while oil tankers have been allowed to dock at Hodeida.

The successive ceasefires have brought some calm to a people exhausted by eight years of war in a country where some 23.4 million of its 30 million people are in need of humanitarian aid.

But there has been little fundamental progress towards peace.

Taez, Yemen’s third-largest city, which is controlled by the government but surrounded by Houthi forces, remains under siege.

Despite the truce, the main roads in and out of the mountain town remain closed.

In the center of Taez, old pickups are packed with passengers heading for the nearby town of Al-Hawban via bumpy back roads through the mountains.

Before the war, it was a 15-minute journey one way.

“Now I need four or five hours,” said Bassem al-Sabri from Taez.

Diego Zorrilla, UN deputy humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, said the ceasefire improved the situation “in many ways” but “life remains difficult for the vast majority”.

“From a humanitarian perspective, the October 2nd ceasefire renewal is a moral imperative,” Zorrilla said.

“Only a resolution to the conflict can allow the economy to recover, lift people out of poverty and reduce humanitarian needs.”

Talks on a permanent peace deal remain at a standstill.

In May, UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg said the ceasefire “offers an opportunity to break with the violence and suffering of the past.”

University of Ottawa analyst Thomas Juneau said the ceasefire has “changed fundamentally” in terms of moving peace talks forward and is proving “in some respects to be a failure.”

“There is no serious will on the Houthi side to negotiate and thus compromise with the government,” Juneau said.

On the government side, the differences between the numerous anti-rebel factions have widened.

“We have seen fault lines, which were very deep, widen, tensions deepen and in many cases turn violent,” he said.

For Juneau, it is “absurd to renew a ceasefire that is not working” and is therefore “only delaying the return of violence”.

But he added: “I see no other alternative.”