Yemen conflict: Detainee exchange raises hope

Nearly 900 of conflict-related detainees are being released by the warring parties in Yemen in an operation that began Friday, raising hopes for a broader political solution to the conflict. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is managing the implementation of the release operation, which includes flights between six airports in Yemen and Saudi Arabia over the period of three days, to repatriate the detainees.

Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition supporting the Yemeni government have been fighting a war since 2015, creating one of the worlds’ worst humanitarian crises.

The International Committee of the Red Cross will use its planes to fly the detainees into and out of multiple cities in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. ICRC teams will also accompany them during their journey and tend to any medical needs along the way. 

The ICRC’s role is to ensure that humanitarian principles are respected and that detainees are treated with humanity throughout the release and transfer process. ICRC staff has assessed the health of the detainees and confirmed that they are fit to travel.

“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, the ICRC’s regional director for the Near and Middle East.

According to ICRC, the Yemen Red Crescent Society (YRCS) and the Saudi Red Crescent Authority (SRCA) will also play vital roles in assisting the detainees. Their medical staff and volunteers will help detainees with disabilities on and off the planes and provide first aid and ambulance services where needed.

“Our deep desire is that these releases provide momentum for a broader political solution, leading to even more detainees returning to their loved ones”, Carboni said.

The release operation is the result of talks concluded on March 20, 2023 in Bern, Switzerland, where the parties to the conflict in Yemen finalized the plan for the release. The ICRC co-chaired these meetings with the United Nations Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen (OSESGY). 

The parties have committed to meet again in May to organize more releases.

The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, welcomed the start of the release operation and thanked the parties for their collaboration with his Office and ICRC to implement the plan agreed in March. 

“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. Today, hundreds of Yemeni families get to celebrate Eid with their loved ones because the parties negotiated and reached an agreement. I hope this spirit is reflected in ongoing efforts to advance a comprehensive political solution,” Grundberg said.

At the end of next week, Muslim's will mark the end of their daily fasting during the holy month of Ramadan with the Eid al-Fitr celebration.

“Thousands more families are still waiting to be reunited with their loved ones. I hope the parties build on the success of this operation to fulfill the commitment they made to the Yemeni people in the Stockholm Agreement to release all conflict-related detainees and bring this suffering to an end”, the Special Envoy said.

Following the diplomatic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, hopes are growing in the region for an early end to the eight-year war in Yemen. The two regional powers are waging a proxy war in the country. A cease-fire agreed between the warring parties a year ago was extended twice, but expired in October when the conflicting parties were unwilling to extend it. Despite this, fighting has slowed significantly.

Eight years of armed conflict in Yemen have caused tens of thousands of civilian casualties and forced millions to flee, making Yemen one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. Nearly 6 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the beginning of the civil war in 2015. 4.5 million people are internally displaced inside Yemen.

The current level of hunger in Yemen is unprecedented. The rate of child malnutrition is one of the highest in the world, and the nutrition situation is improving only slightly.  However, this progress is extremely fragile and could reverse quickly if aid agencies are forced to reduce or suspend programs due to funding shortfalls. The UN estimates that 21.6 million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2023. Among them are 12.9 million children.

Further information

Full text: Nearly 900 detainees from the Yemen conflict to return home on ICRC flights, International Committee of the Red Cross, press release, published April 14, 2023
https://www.icrc.org/en/document/nearly-900-detainees-yemen-conflict-return-home-icrc-flights

Full text: Hundreds of detainees released in Yemen, Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen (OSESGY), press release, published April 14, 2023
https://osesgy.unmissions.org/hundreds-detainees-released-yemen