The timeline for the implementation of the UN-brokered deal in Yemen has been extended, the global body's special envoy to the war-torn country said on Monday.
In tweets confirming the decision, Martin Griffiths also conceded that the initial timeline was ambitious.
There is a complex situation on the ground, Mr Griffiths said, adding that both the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels were "constructively and seriously engaged" in the agreement.
The two sides agreed to a ceasefire in Hodeidah, which went into effect on December 18, the withdrawal of all forces from the city's three ports and a prisoner exchange at UN-brokered negotiations in Sweden in December.
A troop withdrawal from Hodeidah would mark a turning point, Mr Griffiths said.
Suspected breaches of the ceasefire by Houthi rebels have marred the implementation of the deal, including sporadic clashes and mortar fire.
The UN envoy said it was important to capitalise on the momentum from the deal brokered in Sweden and that the implementation of the Hodeidah agreement "will have a large impact on the dynamics of conflict resolution in Yemen".
Mr Griffiths also stressed the importance of not losing sight of the bigger picture in Yemen and said that "all parties are on the same page that the way to do this is through the negotiations’ table, and not the battlefield".
Shortly after announcing the extension, Mr Griffiths arrived in Sanaa, the rebel-held capital, on a surprise visit to discuss the situation in and around Hodeidah.
It is the UN official's third trip to Yemen this month as he pushes for the implementation of the deal.
Meanwhile, the Arab Coalition support the government announced that the rebels are blocking six humanitarian aid ships from unloading at Hodeidah.
The city is the entry point for about 70 per cent of Yemen's humanitarian aid and food imports. Four years of war following the rebel seizure of Sanaa in 2014 have left more than 22 million Yemenis – 75 per cent of the population – dependent on aid, according to UN agencies.
The UN fears that a full-blown conflict in Hodeidah will cut off the flow of aid to people in need, endangering millions of lives.
Martin Griffith's comments in full:
There is a window of opportunity that was opened for Yemen in Sweden, and
— @OSE_Yemen (@OSE_Yemen) January 28, 2019
it is important to seize this opportunity, and to capitalize on the momentum we have seen during and after Sweden #Yemen
we have seen the timelines for implementation extended, both in #Hudayda and the prisoner exchange agreement. Such changes in timelines are expected. The initial timelines were rather ambitious. We are dealing with a complex situation on the ground. #Yemen
— @OSE_Yemen (@OSE_Yemen) January 28, 2019
Both parties continue to demonstrate political will in abiding by the Stockholm Agreement, and both parties are constructively and seriously engaged for the full
— @OSE_Yemen (@OSE_Yemen) January 28, 2019
implementation of the Agreement. #Yemen
The full implementation of the #Hudayda Agreement will be a turning point. It will have a large impact on the dynamics of conflict resolution in #Yemen
— @OSE_Yemen (@OSE_Yemen) January 28, 2019
We have seen the two parties demonstrate remarkable political will, first to reach a ceasefire agreement, and then to abide by it. What we need to see now is the implementation of the provisions of the agreement, fully and rapidly. #Hudayda #Yemen
— @OSE_Yemen (@OSE_Yemen) January 28, 2019
It is important not to lose sight of the big picture necessary to resolve
— @OSE_Yemen (@OSE_Yemen) January 28, 2019
the conflict in #Yemen. A framework that will draw a road map towards a political agreement will provide us with a basis for the end game; that is the political solution for the conflict there.
More than any time in the past, there is a political will demonstrated by all parties to put an end to this conflict. All parties are on the same page that the way to do this is through the negotiations’ table, and not the battlefield. #Yemen
— @OSE_Yemen (@OSE_Yemen) January 28, 2019
The biggest challenge is not to fail the people of #Yemen. And that is why the Sweden moment was important. It was a message from the leaders of
— @OSE_Yemen (@OSE_Yemen) January 28, 2019
Yemen, the UN and the international community to the Yemeni people that they are not forgotten.
