The roadmap marks a major step towards ending Yemen’s nine-year war that has led to the world’s ‘worst humanitarian crisis’.

Qatar has welcomed the United Nations’ announcement of a peace roadmap for Yemen, saying the move will bring “sustainable peace” to the country, the Gulf state’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The ministry said it hoped “the road map will be signed soon, which will contribute to achieving a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis”. It added that the move would bring “about sustainable peace that fulfils the aspirations of the Yemeni people for security, development and prosperity”.

“The Ministry expresses the State of Qatar’s appreciation for the efforts of the United Nations, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman to bring peace to the Republic of Yemen,” the statement added.

The UN Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen (OSESGY) had announced the new roadmap on Saturday following discussions between Saudi Arabia and Oman. 

The talks saw the attendance of the President of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al Alimi, and Ansar Allah chief negotiator Mohammed Abdul Salam. 

The proposed roadmap entails measures for a nationwide ceasefire and “preparations for the resumption of an inclusive political process under UN auspices”. 

Other elements include the payment of public sector salaries, the resumption of oil exports, and opening roads in Taiz and other parts of Yemen. The roadmap also includes easing restrictions on Sana’a Airport and the vital Hudaydah port.

“The Special Envoy will now engage with the parties to establish a roadmap under UN auspices that includes these commitments and supports their implementation,” OSESGY said.

The roadmap marks a major step towards ending Yemen’s nine-year war, which has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with an estimated 4.5 million of the population still displaced. 

A total of 21.6 million people – two-thirds of Yemen’s population – are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN.

Since 2015, Yemen has seen fighting between a Saudi-led military coalition and Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The war has killed an estimated 233,000 people, according to UN figures, though the death toll remains disputed.

Yemen witnessed its first period of peace in April 2022 following a UN-brokered ceasefire that expired in October of the same year when all sides failed to agree on an extension.

The truce was the first since 2016 and led to a 60% decrease in civilian casualties, as well as an almost 50% drop in displacements.

Yemen has since experienced a period of relative calm despite the expiration of the ceasefire, especially amid talks between Saudi and Omani delegations with Houthi rebel officials.

The race for peace in Yemen appeared to gain momentum earlier this year after a China-brokered deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which led to the resumption of relations between the former regional rivals.

A Houthi delegation visited the Saudi capital of Riyadh in late September for five days of talks, marking the first such official visit to the kingdom since the war broke out.