Yemen’s govt, Houthis trade blame for breaching Hodeidah port ceasefire

Yemen’s warring parties have traded accusations of breaching a UN-mediated ceasefire in Hodeidah. The port city is vital for food and aid supplies, and is a lifeline for millions facing starvation. Residents reported shelling late on Tuesday, the first day of the truce, for nearly one hour on the eastern and southern outskirts of the Houthi-held Red Sea city. It was calm early on Wednesday, Reuters reports. Houthi-run al-Masirah TV accused Saudi-led coalition forces of breaching the truce by shelling several sites. A Yemeni source was quoted by the UAE’s news agency WAM as saying that the Houthis fired mortar bombs and rockets at a hospital in the eastern suburbs. The UN is due to convene the Houthi group and the Saudi-backed government by video link on Wednesday to discuss a troop withdrawal from Hodeidah city and three ports. The truce deal was agreed at UN-led talks in Sweden last week, the first in more than two years.