A vital road linking the cities of Taiz and Sanaa reopened on Thursday after being closed for nearly a decade due to Yemen's ongoing conflict, local mediators announced.
The blocked Hawban-Madina section of the road in the Taiz province was made passable again after dirt barriers, barricades, and landmines were cleared through coordinated efforts there in recent days, said Samir Al-Sabai, a member of the local mediation committee.
The road reopened to passenger traffic following the cooperation of the concerned parties, namely the Houthis and the government forces, according to Al-Sabai.
Hawban is a Houthis-controlled area on the outskirts of Taiz, the capital of the namesake province, while Madina is in the Taiz City where the government troops are stationed.
Citizens in the government-controlled areas of Taiz can now travel without restrictions to the Houthi-controlled Hawban and then to other provinces including the country's capital Sanaa.
Fighting between the two sides severed the main road link at the end of 2014, forcing travelers to take circuitous mountain routes that stretched a 10-minute drive into an over six-hour journey.
"I am now leaving the city of Taiz and heading back to my home in Al-Hawban. After a few days, I can easily return to work in Taiz. I am just an ordinary citizen and I do not belong to any of the conflicting parties," said Saeed Farhan, a citizen of Al-Hawban residing in the city of Taiz.
"I am grateful for the concerted efforts of all parties to reopen this road. Previously, taking the detour through the mountains was extremely difficult and exhausting," said Ali Abdo, a resident of Taiz.
The conflict between the internationally recognized government and the Houthi militant group has cut off multiple main transit routes across the war-ravaged Arab nation since late 2014. The reopening of the road reflects the gradual rebuilding of trust between the parties to the conflict in Yemen.
Key road linking Yemen's Taiz to Sanaa reopens after 10-year closure
