The agreement, announced on Thursday by UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg, follows 14 weeks of negotiations held under United Nations auspices in Amman and is expected to reunite thousands of families separated by more than a decade of conflict.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the deal, describing it as “the largest such release agreed upon since the start of the conflict in Yemen.â€
“This is a moment of profound relief for thousands of Yemenis who have endured long and painful waits [for] the return of their family members,†Mr. Grundberg said in a statement.
Millions affected by crisis
Yemen has been devastated by conflict since 2014, when Ansar Allah, commonly known as the Houthis, seized the capital Sana’a, 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 detainee agreement was reached through the Supervisory Committee established under the 2018 Stockholm Agreement, in which the parties committed to releasing all conflict-related detainees under the principle of “all-for-all.â€
UN’s central role
The United Nations played a central role in facilitating the negotiations, which continued through Ramadan, Eid and a period of heightened regional tensions, according to Mr. Grundberg.
“These negotiations have been extraordinarily complex,†he told reporters. “They required persistence, flexibility, and willingness by all sides.â€
The UN Special Envoy’s office coordinated the talks alongside the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which co-chairs the supervisory committee and will help oversee implementation of the release operation.
Mr. Grundberg thanked Jordan for hosting the talks, and credited earlier negotiations held in Oman and Switzerland for paving the way to the agreement. He also acknowledged the financial and political support from 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 to an implementation plan developed with the ICRC. The sides also committed to reconvening for further negotiations, conducting joint visits to detention facilities and ensuring access to detainees.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Guterres called on the parties to “move swiftly†to implement the agreement in cooperation with the ICRC so families can be reunited “as soon as possible.â€
Mr. Grundberg said the agreement demonstrated that sustained diplomacy could still produce results despite years of conflict and mistrust.
“This outcome is a clear demonstration of what sustained and determined negotiations can produce,†he said. “It proves that when the parties choose to engage in dialogue, they can deliver on the priorities that weigh most heavily on Yemeni families and build confidence for the wider peace process.â€
Call for release of UN personnel
Mr. Grundberg also renewed calls for the release of UN personnel and others arbitrarily detained in Yemen.
“I hope that today’s momentum can help advance the release of UN and other colleagues who remain in arbitrary detention,†he said.
The Secretary-General also urged the Houthis to “immediately and unconditionally†release all arbitrarily detained personnel from the United Nations, NGOs, civil society and diplomatic missions.
He reiterated that UN personnel, including Yemeni nationals working for the organization, “must be allowed to independently perform their functions without hindrance.â€
Mr. Guterres also called on both parties to build on the momentum generated by the agreement and engage constructively with Special Envoy Grundberg toward “an inclusive political process for a just and lasting peace in Yemen.â€
