Clashes stop in Yemeni port city

Yemeni security sources reported Thursday that clashes have stopped in the port city of al-Hudaydah since late Wednesday.

Military operations in al-Hudaydah were stopped based on an agreement between the Yemeni government and the UN, Asil es-Sakledi, head of the press office of Amalika Brigade told Anadolu Agency.

Sakledi said operations stopped due to allow representatives of international aid organizations to reach food stores and evacuate civilians from conflict areas.

He said military forces created "safe corridors for evacuation".

The Houthi rebel group said in a statement there is no serious communication about the political solution or the cease-fire.

The UN's humanitarian affairs chief Mark Lowcock called Tuesday for a cease-fire in Yemen's ongoing conflict to facilitate the flow of direly needed international assistance.

Already the Arab world's poorest nation prior to the start of the conflict, Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014 when the Houthis overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a devastating air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.