The warring sides in Yemen completed a prisoner exchange involving more than 1,000 individuals yesterday, the largest since the war began, sparking hopes that it could revive the country’s stalled peace process after more than five years of grinding conflict, reported The Associated Press. “We’re very happy this operation has concluded with success, regardless of how challenging it was to put it together,” said Yara Khawaja, a spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Yemen, which has overseen the swap. She expressed hope it would help the warring sides overcome mistrust and restart more substantive negotiations “to end the suffering of millions of Yemenis.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the release “an important step” and “proof that important breakthroughs can be achieved through dialogue and compromise,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. He urged the parties “to continue on this path” and finalize a joint declaration including a nationwide ceasefire, economic and humanitarian measures, and resumed UN-mediated political negotiations to end the war — an appeal echoed by the UN Security Council. UN envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths told the UN Security Council on Oct. 15 that the exchange “will bring immense relief and comfort to all those families who waited so long to be reunited as well as to other families, close relations, friends and members of their communities.”
Griffiths stressed, however, that there is much more to do, including resolving the status of more prisoners and other detainees as well as ongoing work on a Joint Declaration intended to end the war. The two sides have still not agreed on a text, but Griffths said he is neither surprised nor discouraged by this. “We are asking a lot” of both sides, he said. Griffiths also provided an update in the military situations on both Ma’arib and Hodaydah. In Ma’arib, the fighting has decreased in intensity but remains volatile. In Hodayday the military situation continues to deteriorate and has prompted efforts to reactivate the UN mechanisms to separate the two sides.
In addition, UN humanitarian affairs chief Mark Lowcock warned the Security Council that a shortage of funds means that UN aid agencies have had to scale back their operations, leaving 4 million Yemenis without aid. The “window to prevent famine” is closing in the war-torn country, he said. Lowcock said that aid agencies had just 42% of their programs funded in Yemen, meaning key services were being axed. Aid agencies are helping 9 million people a month in Yemen, down from 13 million at the start of the year, Lowcock said. “What is to be the fate of the 4 million we no longer have the money to help?” he asked.
