The UN Security Council voted unanimously Monday (July 15th) to extend its ceasefire observation mission in the Yemeni port city of al-Hodeidah by six months, until January 15th, 2020, AFP reported.
It also called on Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to deploy a full contingent of observers "expeditiously" in the mission, which is mandated to have 75 staff but currently only has 20 on the ground.
The text adopted Monday stressed that the UN mission should "monitor the compliance of the parties to the ceasefire in al-Hodeidah governorate and the mutual redeployment of forces from the city of al-Hodeidah and the ports of al-Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa".
The monitors should work with the parties so that the security of the area "is assured by local security forces in accordance with Yemeni law".
It also called on all parties involved in the al-Hodeidah Agreement to support UN efforts by ensuring the safety of the monitors and affording all personnel and supplies swift and unfettered movement.
Under the Stockholm agreement of late 2018, all warring factions were supposed to have withdrawn their troops from the city, but that pullback has been long delayed owing to lingering distrust between Yemeni forces and the Iran-backed Houthis (Ansarallah).
