“This is a moment of deep relief for thousands of Yemenis who have endured long and painful waits for the return of their relatives.Grundberg said in a statement.
Millions affected by the crisis
Yemen has been devastated by conflict since 2014, when Ansar Allah, commonly known as the Houthis, seized the capital Sanaa, triggering a wider war that has fueled one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Millions of Yemenis remain dependent on aid, while the conflict has displaced millions of people and severely damaged the country’s economy and infrastructure.
The agreement on the detainees was reached through the Monitoring Committee established under the 2018 Stockholm Agreement, in which the parties committed to release all detainees related to the conflict under the principle of “all for all.”
The central role of the UN
The United Nations played a central role in facilitating the negotiations, which continued through Ramadan, Eid and a period of intense regional tensions, according to Grundberg.
“These negotiations have been extraordinarily complex,“he told reporters.”They required perseverance, flexibility and will on all sides.”
The UN Special Envoy’s office coordinated the talks alongside the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which co-chairs the oversight committee and will help oversee the implementation of the liberation operation.
Grundberg thanked Jordan for hosting the talks and credited earlier negotiations held in Oman and Switzerland for paving the way to the agreement. It also acknowledged the financial and political support of several international partners, including the European Union, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Implementation phase
The next phase will focus on carrying out the releases, with the parties agreeing on an implementation plan developed with the ICRC. The parties also committed to meeting again to conduct further negotiations, conduct joint visits to detention centers and guarantee access to detainees.
“This result is a clear demonstration of what sustained and determined negotiations can produce,”said Mr. Grundberg.
“It demonstrates that when parties decide to engage in dialogue, they can deliver on the priorities that weigh most on Yemeni families and build trust for the broader peace process.“
Call for release of UN staff
The UN envoy also renewed calls for the release of UN staff and others arbitrarily detained in Yemen.
“I hope that today’s momentum can help advance the release of UN colleagues and others who remain arbitrarily detained,” said.
Grundberg also expressed hope that the agreement can help build trust between the parties and support efforts towards sustainable peace in Yemen.