Two ICRC planes, each carrying 48 prisoners, left for Sanaa, while eight other detainees boarded a third flight for Aden, the major southern city where the Yemeni government is based.
A spokesperson said the Geneva-based ICRC was providing airlift and logistical support, and arranging interviews with the released detainees. The operation, which comes just days before the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, brings the number of detainees released since Friday to 973.
The exchange of detainees this weekend was part of a deal struck in March in Geneva between the Yemeni government, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
It is the biggest release since October 2020, when more than 1,000 prisoners were freed. It raises hopes for peace in a conflict that has plunged Yemen into a deep humanitarian crisis, left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced, according to the UN.
A six-month UN-brokered truce that began in April 2022 was not renewed when it expired in October, but the situation on the ground has remained calm, offering a respite to the population.
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Swiss president visits region affected by glacier collapse
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Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter spoke with communities affected by the Birch glacier collapse, which buried the village of Blatten.
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On Saturday the Lake Geneva, Valais and Basel regions are expected to record the first tropical day of the year, with temperatures exceeding 30°C.
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The Swiss economy saw the clouds that had gathered over its prospects lift somewhat in May. However, the KOF economic barometer is still below its long-term average.
Direct operations too dangerous in Swiss landslide valley
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By Friday morning 365 people had been forced to leave their homes because of Wednesday's landslide in the Swiss village of Blatten.
Franco-Swiss raclette war set to be settled on Sunday
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The battle for the world's largest raclette will be transformed on Sunday in Saint-Gingolph, canton Valais, into a raclette of friendship served at the border.
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