The Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced in a ‎statement today that it will observe a ceasefire in Yemen tonight in response to a call from ‎Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. The ceasefire began at midnight local time. ‎In a statement, the coalition said it is committed to the ceasefire, but reserves the right to respond to any rebel attacks.

The legitimate government of Yemeni has notified the UN envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, that ‎it has accepted the ceasefire in order to pave the way for the UN-sponsored peace talks to be ‎held in Kuwait on April 18.  The ceasefire will expire at 12 p.m. local time (9 a.m. UTC) of the ‎day following the conclusion of consultations in Kuwait, unless the agreement is extended. The ‎Yemeni government is obliged to notify the coalition of any decision to extend the ceasefire, the ‎announcement said. However, the coalition will reserve the right to respond to any violations of ‎the ceasefire by the Houthis and their supporters.‎

In March 2015, Saudi Arabia responded to an appeal for assistance from Yemeni ‎President Hadi by forming an international coalition and launching military operations in support ‎of the people of Yemen and the legitimate government of Yemen. Saudi Arabia supports all ‎efforts to end the Yemeni crisis.‎

Saudi Arabia has donated $10 million to establish a specialized center to combat nuclear terrorism at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in Vienna, Austria.  Saudi Arabia has also donated  500,000 euros ($570,000) for the project to modernize the IAEA laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria, Dr. Hashim Abdullah Yamani, President of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy and head of the Saudi delegation to the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, announced yesterday.

Dr. Yamani said Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries that supported international resolutions related to nuclear security. He said the Kingdom has ratified the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and supports the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism as a party to the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism.

Dr. Yamani reiterated Saudi Arabia’s commitment to international activities in the field of nuclear security, citing the Kingdom’s support for the establishment of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Center in 2011. Saudi Arabia pledged $10 million to the U.N. to establish the Center in 2008. In 2014, Saudi Arabia donated $100 million to the Center to build its capabilities and effectiveness in helping countries combat terrorism.

The King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (KSRELIEF) distributed 4,500 food baskets in Taiz, Yemen as part of its project of the distribution of 100,000 food baskets to those affected in the region.