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 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.
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. 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 percent of the population forced to rely on food aid to survive.
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