A slowdown in fighting in Yemen's al-Hodeidah province has allowed the UN to deliver more than 3,000 tonnes of food to two areas for the first time in six months, the World Food Programme said Tuesday (January 15th).
Al-Tuhayta and Darahimi districts in southern al-Hodeidah last received humanitarian aid in July, when a WFP truck delivering relief goods was "hit", agency spokesman Herve Verhoosel said, without elaborating on the nature of the July incident.
The deliveries so far to the districts include more than 3,300 metric tonnes of food, AFP reported.
"This can be thanks to an inconsistent de-escalation over recent days following the December peace talks in Stockholm," Verhoosel said in a statement.
The Houthi-held port in al-Hodeidah city -- through which more than 80% of imports and humanitarian aid pass -- was for months the main front line in the Yemeni conflict after government forces launched an offensive to capture it in June from Iran-backed Houthi fighters.
The UN has said the al-Hodeidah truce has largely held since it came into force on December 18th, but there have been delays in the agreed pullback of Houthi and government forces.
