As a major exchange of prisoners linked to Yemen’s longstanding war began on Friday, UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg urged the warring sides to continue their search for a peaceful future for the embattled country.
A year has now passed since the Government of Yemen and Houthi rebels met in Sweden for UN-sponsored talks, aimed at ending a brutal conflict that has generated the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
The momentum to reach a political settlement in Yemen “has been building”, the United Nations Special Envoy to the country told the Security Council on Friday, attributing the positive development to compromises on “a range of issues”.
Yemen’s warring parties have begun the process this week of implementing a comprehensive ceasefire agreement across the key rebel-held port city of Hudaydah, raising hopes that groundbreaking consultations convened by the UN in Sweden can lead to a lasting peace through further talks next year.