The office of the UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said on Thursday that the Yemeni government and the Houthi armed group had hammered out an agreement to release a total of more than 1,600 detainees -- 1,100 by the government and 580 by the Houthis.
This marks the largest exchange of detainees between the two sides since the conflict in Yemen broke out in 2014. The Yemeni government and the Houthi had also agreed to continue holding further talks between the two sides.
Yemen has been gripped by conflict since late 2014 when Houthis seized control of the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene the following year in support of the internationally recognized government.
A UN-mediated truce between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, brokered in April 2022, lasted six months before expiring. However, both sides have largely maintained a "de facto ceasefire" since then.
The last major UN-mediated detainees swap between the two sides took place in 2023, with around 900 detainees released.
Yemeni gov't, Houthis strike deal on largest prisoner exchange
Yemeni gov't, Houthis strike deal on largest prisoner exchange
