A deadly conflict, coupled with a devastating Saudi blockade on key ports across the country, has rendered Yemen the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Qatar has welcomed the exchange of hundreds of prisoners between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels, which started on Friday amid steps to end the years-long conflict.
In a statement on Saturday, Qatar’s foreign ministry said it considers the move as “a humanitarian gesture and a positive step that would pave the way for a comprehensive political solution” in Yemen.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the State of Qatar’s aspiration that this process contribute to strengthening efforts aimed at stabilising the armistice and establishing sustainable peace that achieves the aspirations of the brotherly Yemeni people for security and development,” the statement added.
Qatar renewed its support for a peaceful resolution in the Yemen crisis while praising the United Nations office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen (OSESGY) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The prisoner exchange began on Friday just days after Saudi and Omani representatives visited Sanaa to discuss a possible end to the eight-year war in Yemen.
According to the UN, the three-day prisoner exchange entails the release of nearly 900 conflict-related detainees, with plans to hold another meeting in May in a bid to secure more releases.
“This comes under implementation of the plan agreed by the parties at the last meeting of the Supervisory Committee on the Detainees’ Exchange Agreement, which took place in Switzerland in March,” the UN said in a statement on the first day of the swap.
Since 2015, Yemen has been riddled in a deadly war between the Saudi coalition and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels following the latter’s capture of the capital Sanaa.
The meeting in Sanaa came a month after Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to resume diplomatic ties for the first time since 2016 under a China-brokered deal.
“This release operation comes at a time of hope for Yemen as a reminder that constructive dialogue and mutual compromises are powerful tools capable of achieving great outcomes,” Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, said in a statement on Friday.
Grundberg noted that “thousands more families are still waiting to be reunited with their loved ones.”
In 2020, a similar prisoner swap between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi’s saw the release of more than 1,000 detainees.
Last year, Yemen witnessed its first truce since 2016, bringing forth the calmest period in years for the war-torn country.
The United Nations previously said the ceasefire led to a 60% decrease in civilian casualties and almost 50% drop in displacements.
A deadly conflict, coupled with a devastating Saudi blockade on key ports across the country, has rendered Yemen the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
