Yemen war: Major prisoner swap raises hopes

It is the largest-scale prisoner exchange for more than two years

A major prisoner swap between warring sides in Yemen is under way, seen as part of stepped-up efforts to end the devastating eight-year conflict there.

Red Cross officials said 318 prisoners had been flown on four flights between the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, and government-held Aden.

About 900 prisoners are expected to be exchanged over the next three days.

The war between rebels and pro-government Saudi-led forces has left tens of thousands of Yemenis dead.

It has also created what the UN has called one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with some 80% of the population forced to rely on food aid to survive.

The exchange - the largest since late 2020 - is seen as a confidence-building measure, following talks earlier this week in Sanaa between a Saudi delegation and Houthi rebels aimed at reaching a new and potentially permanent ceasefire.

• Why is there a war in Yemen?

The talks were facilitated by Oman, which shares a border with both Saudi Arabia and Yemen and has played a key role in attempts to broker an end to the fighting for years.

There has been increased momentum towards ending the war since Saudi Arabia and the Houthis resumed direct on-off talks last year. Hopes were furthered when Saudi Arabia and its powerful rival Iran - the Houthis' main backer - agreed last month to restore relations after a bitter seven-year rift.

Despite the failure to renew a UN-brokered six-month ceasefire in October, there has been a sharp decline in fighting, accompanied by some steps to ease tensions. They include the easing of restrictions on imports and prisoner exchanges, agreed in negotiations in Switzerland last month.

There are believed to be thousands of prisoners held by both sides.

"With this act of goodwill, hundreds of families torn apart by conflict are being reunited during the holy month of Ramadan, providing a glimmer of hope amidst great suffering," said Fabrizio Carboni, regional director of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Yemen has been devastated by a conflict that escalated in 2015, when the Houthis seized control of large parts of the west of the country.

President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi fled abroad and a Saudi-led alliance of Arab states intervened to restore his rule. However, years of military stalemate have followed.

The fighting has reportedly left more than 150,000 people dead and more than 23 million people - three-quarters of the population - in need of some form of aid.