The Yemeni government and rebel Houthi representatives have reached an agreement on "Phase 1" of their mutual redeployment of forces under a UN-sponsored deal to leave the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah.
"The parties reached an agreement on Phase 1 of the mutual redeployment of forces," a statement by the UN spokesman's office said.
The UN is trying to implement a truce and troop-withdrawal accord in Hodeidah, the main entry point for most of Yemen's imports, as part of efforts to end a war that has killed tens of thousands and millions starving.
The Iranian-aligned Houthis are to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Saleef and Ras Isa, to be met by a retreat of Saudi-backed coalition forces from the eastern outskirts of the city, where battles raged before a December ceasefire.
The Hodeidah truce has largely been respected but skirmishes continue.
The UN statement said the two sides had also agreed "in principle" on Phase 2, entailing the redeployment of forces in the whole Hodeidah province.
Allegiances among Yemen's many factions have shifted several times during the conflict, pitting the Houthis against the internationally recognised government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, ousted from capital Sana'a in 2014.
The Houthis control most urban centres in Yemen, while Hadi's government is based in the southern port of Aden and controls some western coastal towns.
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