For almost a decade, conflict has consumed Yemen, giving rise to one of the world's worst humanitarian catastrophes. Now, for the first time in a long time, there is a new glimmer of hope.
Saudi and Omani envoys have arrived in Yemen's capital for planned talks with the Houthi rebel group, according to Reuters, raising the possibility of a ceasefire that could bring an end to a conflict that has evolved from a civil war to a proxy war and dragged on for more than eight years.
Neighboring Saudi Arabia first launched its offensive against the rebel Houthi movement in March 2015, less than a year after the Houthis overthrew the Yemeni government. Since then, fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and the US-backed Saudi military alliance has killed tens of thousands of Yemeni civilians.
A Saudi-enforced blockade on Yemen, meanwhile, has exacerbated food insecurity and made things like medicine and fuel scarce. About 80% of the country's people are now dependent on humanitarian aid, according to data from the World Food Program, a UN agency.
Any cessation of the fighting in Yemen would bode well for the wider Middle East, which has long been in the crosshairs of the power struggle between Saudi Arabia are Iran.
The talks come amid a softening of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The detente has been largely brokered by China, where the top diplomats from the two adversaries met face-to-face for the first time in years last week. They agreed to re-establish embassies in each other's countries, a major step forward.
The talks in Yemen will focus on reopening the country's ports, rebuilding the country, and creating a transitional government, according to Reuters.
The United Nations has called Yemen the world's worst humanitarian crisis. As many as 4.5 million Yemenis have been internally displaced since 2015 and close to 22 million of the country's 30 million people are in need of assistance. About 2.2 million children are dealing with acute malnutrition, and thousands have been killed or injured as a result of the fighting.
