Griffiths describes signing of prisoner exchange agreement as most important step since start of war on Yemen

GENEVA, Sep. 27 (YPA) – The United Nations envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, on Sunday confirmed that the Sanaa government and Saudi-led coalition delegation reached an agreement to release 1,081 war prisoners from both sides.

Griffiths praised this step, which he described as “the most important since the start of the war in 2015.”

He added, in a press conference held on Sunday, that among the priorities after this agreement is to move decisively to implement it and move to negotiate other issues, on the way to reaching a lasting peace in Yemen.

The UN envoy called on the parties to meet again to pursue discussions on the release of other prisoners.

Griffiths described the agreement as important to more than a thousand families hoping to receive their sons, thanking the two parties for overcoming the dispute in this file and reaching a satisfactory settlement.

In turn, Fabrizio Carboni, Regional Director of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Middle and Near East, said: “The agreement signed today is a positive step for hundreds of detainees and their families at home, who have been separated for years and will be reunited soon.”

YPA