Yemen Ceasefire 'Already Broken'

Children play near a house in Sanaa, Yemen (Picture: PA).

A UN-backed ceasefire in Yemen was broken “within minutes”, according to Yemeni government sources.

Officials accused the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels of shelling Yemeni soldiers in Hudaydah after the truce began at midnight.

Both sides had agreed a ceasefire to protect the port city after a week of talks in Stockholm, Sweden, and hopes were raised that the deal could pave the way to a lasting peace agreement.

Hudaydah is located 90 miles from Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and has been controlled by the rebels since late 2014.

It is a vital port city and handles about 70% of Yemen’s imports. Two-thirds of the country’s population rely on it for supplies of food, fuel and medicine.

"There is a high level of hunger in Yemen," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday.

"The fact that famine was not yet declared does not in any way diminish our huge concern with the very high level of hunger that exists in Yemen with a number of people dying in very dramatic circumstances."

In October the United Nations warned that 13 million people in Yemen are at risk of starvation, at least 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict and millions more have been displaced.