(CNN)A ceasefire between Yemen’s warring parties went into effect at midnight Tuesday (4 p.m. ET Monday) in the strategic port city of Hodeidah.
The ceasefire was reached last week in Stockholm after a round of UN-sponsored talks — the first direct talks in more than two years between representatives of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which Saudi Arabia supports, and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
The December 13 agreement stipulated an immediate ceasefire in Hodeidah, a major flashpoint in the country’s war. The besieged rebel-held port city is an entry point for 70% of foreign humanitarian aid into the country, according to the United Nations, which has described Hodeidah as a “lifeline” for Yemen’s war-ravaged population.
