UN Security Council heads for vote on Yemen observer mission

UNITED NATIONS, United States — Britain on Tuesday requested a vote at the UN Security Council on establishing a six-month observer mission to monitor a ceasefire in Yemen and oversee a pullback of forces, diplomats said.

The council is likely to vote on Wednesday on the British-drafted resolution authorising the deployment of up to 75 monitors, according to diplomats.

The unarmed monitors would be sent to the rebel-held city of Hodeida and its port along with the ports of Saleef and Ras Issa for an initial period of six months.

The port of Hodeida is the entry point for the bulk of Yemen's supplies of imported goods and humanitarian aid.

Talks between the Saudi-backed government and Houthi rebels last month in Sweden on ending the devastating war led to an agreement on the observer force.

A first group of about 20 monitors was authorised by the council last month to begin work in Yemen, but their mandate expires on January 20.

The draft resolution calls on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to ‘‘expeditiously’’ deploy the United Nations Mission to support the Hodeida Agreement, led by retired Dutch General Patrick Cammaert.

The UN says a ceasefire that went into effect on December 18 in Hodeida has been generally holding, but there have been delays in the redeployment of rebel and government forces from the city.

The Houthis control most of Hodeida while government forces are deployed on its southern and eastern outskirts.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday accused the rebels of failing to comply with the Hodeida truce agreement, after he held talks in Riyadh with Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

Since the Saudi-led military coalition intervened in support of the government in March 2015, the conflict has unleashed the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.