sanah An exchange of more than 800 prisoners linked to Yemen’s long-running war began on Friday. The International Committee of the Red Cross has given this information. The decision to exchange prisoners, brokered by the United Nations after months of diplomatic efforts, also represents an attempt to end the war. This is the most significant exchange of prisoners in Yemen since the two sides freed over 1,000 prisoners in October 2020. Thousands of people are believed to have been taken prisoner of war by both sides since the war began.
Majid Fadel, deputy minister for human rights affairs of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, said the three-day swap would see prisoners being flown by planes to Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s capital Sanaa. Sanaa has long been held by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The Red Cross said on Friday two flights would fly simultaneously between Aden and Sanaa to exchange prisoners.
The conflict in Yemen began in 2014 with Houthi rebels taking control of Sanaa and much of the country’s north. People from Yemen’s internationally recognized government fled to the southern region and then went into exile in Saudi Arabia. In recent years the conflict has turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with the US having long provided intelligence to Saudi Arabia.
However, the US withdrew its support amid international criticism over the death of civilians in Saudi Arabian airstrikes. More than 150,000 people, including combatants and civilians, have died in the war. This war has become one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.
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