Yemen's warring sides negotiate in Amman

Jordan

Published: 2021-01-24 18:39

Last Updated: 2024-03-27 21:38


Photo: AP/DW
Photo: AP/DW

Sunday, the two warring sides in Yemen- Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed government- met for UN-brokered negotiations in Amman. 

A prisoner exchange is reportedly the main topic on the meeting's agenda, three months after the groups completed the largest prisoner exchange in history. 

In a statement, the UN special envoy Martin Griffiths urged the gathering in Amman to prioritise “the immediate and unconditional release of all sick, wounded, elderly and children detainees as well as all arbitrarily detained civilians, including women."

High-ranking officials could also be swapped in a potential exchange, including the brother of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The Houthis have been a controversial topic the last two weeks after former American president Donald Trump designated the group as a 'terrorist organization,' which advocates warn could sever off necessary humanitarian aid to crisis-hit Yemen. 

New President Joe Biden has promised to review the designation. 

The war in Yemen began in 2014 and is often referred to as the worst humanitarian crisis of modern time, with around 100,000 people killed in the war that has caused mass starvation and an outbreak of cholera. 

In November, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Yemen was in “imminent danger of the worst famine the world has seen for decades.