Yemen gov’t says to swap prisoners with Houthi rebels

The Yemeni government said on Saturday it will swap prisoners with the rebel Houthi group.

“The Yemeni government is close to reaching a deal with the UN envoy about a draft for exchanging captives, detainees…and those placed under house arrest,” Yemeni delegate to the United Nations Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak said in a statement to the UN Security Council.

He said the government has agreed to swap prisoners and captives with Houthi rebels.

“We are keen on taking confidence-building measures and freeing the captives,” he said.

There was no comment from the Shia Houthi group on the report.

Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a devastating air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.

The ongoing violence has destroyed much of Yemen’s infrastructure, including water and sanitation systems, prompting the UN to describe the situation as one of “the worst humanitarian disasters of modern times”.