A malnourished boy cries as he lies on a hospital bed in Sanaa (Archive)

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) welcomed the renewal of the UN-brokered Yemen truce for an additional two months.

In a statement published on the organization’s website, UNICEF Representative to Yemen Philippe Duamelle said that "UNICEF welcomes the announcement that the parties to the conflict in Yemen have agreed to the United Nations’ proposal to renew the current truce for an additional two months”.

Duamelle noted that the truce led to a significant reduction in the intensity of the conflict and the number of victims. However, he stressed that 113 children were killed or maimed, since the announcement of the truce in April, according to the UN verified numbers.

“The actual figures are likely much higher”, he said.

Duamelle added: “More needs to be done to protect children in Yemen. UNICEF calls on all parties to the conflict to fully respect the terms of the truce and continue efforts towards sustainable peace in Yemen. All parties to the conflict must protect civilians wherever they are and spare no effort to clear land mines and unexploded ordnance."

This comes a day after the UN special envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, announced that the Sanaa government and the Saudi-led coalition have agreed to renew the armistice in Yemen for two months.

The UN-brokered armistice between the Saudi-led coalition and the Sanaa government entered into force on April 2nd. Grundberg had announced that "under this truce, all offensive military operations, by land, air, and sea, will cease."

He explained that the terms of the armistice agreement include facilitating the entry of 18 ships carrying fuel to the ports of Al-Hudaydah, allowing two flights to and from Sanaa's airport every week.

However, the Sanaa government repeatedly expressed its dismay at the Saudi side’s failure to implement the terms of the armistice.