SANAA: Diplomatic efforts appeared to have eased fighting in Yemen’s Hodeida on Tuesday, as Britain said the Saudi-led coalition had agreed to the evacuation of wounded rebels from the country ahead of proposed peace talks in Sweden.

After nearly four years of conflict in Yemen, home to what the UN calls the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe, the US and Britain are now pressing Saudi Arabia and its allies to end the war against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

The office of British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the Saudi-led alliance fighting on the side of the government had agreed to the evacuation of up to 50 wounded Houthi fighters to Oman following Hunt’s visit to Riyadh. The move comes ahead of another proposed round of peace talks in Sweden later this month, Hunt’s office said.

Clashes between Saudi-backed troops and rebels in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida abated on Tuesday, after nearly two weeks of fighting which left nearly 600 people dead.

But a spokesman for the Houthis on Tuesday said the rebels were ready for “war in the streets” of rebel-held Hodeida.

“We are ready, and present, and our plans are in place” in case of an attack by the rival pro-government alliance, the spokesman said at a news conference broadcast on the rebels’ Al-Masirah TV.

Hodeida was hit on Monday night by what multiple sources said were two air strikes — the first targeting of the docks since government forces launched a major offensive to retake the port five months ago.

Pentagon chief Jim Mattis on Saturday confirmed his country had halted its controversial aerial refuelling support for coalition aircraft involved in the war.

Residents reported on Tuesday that the fighting had slowed overnight, and rebel media did not report any new fighting.

“The violent battles stopped on Monday night. We heard a few gunshots here and there at night, but it seems to be calm this morning,” a resident told by telephone, requesting anonymity.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2018