Sanaa | The exchange of more than 1,000 prisoners in warring Yemen will take place on Thursday and Friday, said Houthi rebel official Abdel Kader al-Mortadha.
An agreement on the exchange of 1081 prisoners was concluded at the end of September in Switzerland with the sponsorship of the United Nations.
“The exchange will take place, with the help of God, on the dates scheduled today and tomorrow,” wrote Thursday in a tweet this person responsible for the case of prisoners in the rebels.
“The preparations (for this exchange) have been completed by all parties,” he added.
The Houthi-controlled Al-Massirah TV channel said a first group of rebels was expected midday Thursday at the international airport in Sana’a, the insurgent-controlled Yemeni capital.
The logistics of the operation, including flights between different Yemeni cities, are handled by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
“The ICRC teams are present at different airports. Preparations are underway, and if all goes as planned, we hope that the liberation operation will take place in the next few hours, ”said a spokesperson for the organization.
The exchange agreement concluded in September was seen as a sign of progress in the political process aimed at finding a solution to the conflict in Yemen, where the government has been clashing since 2015, supported by a military coalition led by Arabia. Arabia, and the Houthis, backed by Iran.
This war has claimed tens of thousands of lives, mostly civilians, and resulted in what the UN describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
The exchange due to take place on Thursday comes the day after the release of two Americans who were held by the Houthis who obtained, in an apparent exchange, the return of some 240 members of their group long held in Oman.