Saudi-led coalition to start 48-hour truce in Yemen
The United Nations estimate the war has killed more than 10,000 people.
A Saudi-led military coalition will start a 48-hour ceasefire in Yemen's war at noon (0900 GMT) on Saturday, official media reported, in the latest effort to end a conflict that has displaced millions and caused a worsening humanitarian disaster.
The coalition has been fighting Houthi rebels and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh since March 2015 to restore to power the internationally backed President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, overthrown by the Houthis in late 2014.
The war has killed more than 10,000 people, according to UN estimates, and has worsened disease and hunger. Saturday's truce, the third announced this year, could be extended if the Iran-aligned Houthi movement shows commitment to it and if the group allows humanitarian aid into areas under siege, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Houthi officials could not immediately be reached for comment. "The truce will be renewed if the other party adheres to it, activates the DCC (De-escalation and Coordination Committee) for Dhahran al-Janoub and lifts the siege of Taiz," SPA said, citing a letter sent from Yemen's president Hadi to Saudi King Salman.
The DCC is a United Nations-backed military commission responsible for overseeing ceasefires in Yemen.