United Nations: The United Nations Security Council on Friday unanimously approved the deployment of a UN advance team to monitor a ceasefire in Yemen’s Hodeida region after days of wrangling that pitted the US against ally Britain.

After a week of UN-sponsored peace talks in Sweden, the Iranian-aligned Al Houthis and Saudi Arabia-backed Yemen government agreed last week to stop fighting in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida and withdraw forces. The truce began on Tuesday.

The 15-member Security Council authorised UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to deploy — for an initial 30 days — an advance team to begin monitoring and to support and facilitate the deal between the warring parties.

It also asked Guterres to submit proposals by the end of the month on substantive monitoring operations for the ceasefire and mutual redeployment of forces; support for the management of and inspections at the ports of Hodeida, Salif and Ras Issa; and strengthening of the UN presence in the Hodeida region.

Guterres is also required to report weekly to the Security Council on implementation of the resolution, which endorses the ceasefire deal agreed in Sweden.

The Security Council has been wrangling over the British-drafted text since Monday and in an unusual move the US, unhappy with Britain’s efforts, came up with its own version on Thursday. Traditionally countries propose amendments to a draft rather than coming up with their own text.

The US text, which was seen by Reuters, mirrored the British language focused on the ceasefire deal and authorising UN support. However, Washington had stripped out language on the humanitarian crisis.

The resolution adopted on Friday retained some of the British language on the aid crisis. The conflict has pushed impoverished Yemen to the verge of famine with millions relying on food aid. More than 80 per cent of Yemen’s imports used to come through Hodeida port, but that has slowed to a trickle.

The resolution “calls on the Government of Yemen and Al Houthis to remove bureaucratic impediments to flows of commercial and humanitarian supplies, including fuel, and on the parties to ensure effective and sustained functioning of all of Yemen’s ports.”

The US had also wanted to condemn Iran for breaching an arms embargo on Yemen, but Russia objected, diplomats said. Iran has repeatedly denied accusations that it has supplied weapons to Al Houthis.

In order to reach a consensus Britain had to cut language on the “need for transparent, credible and timely investigations into alleged violations of international humanitarian law” and for those responsible to be held accountable.

A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 to back government forces.