ICRC Ready To Offer Support On Yemen Prisoner Exchanges Once Lists Finalized - Spokeswoman

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is ready to offer the two sides of Yemen's conflict technical support in facilitating prisoner exchanges, once final lists of prisoners are agreed upon, Mirella Hodeib, the spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Yemen told Sputnik on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th January, 2019) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is ready to offer the two sides of Yemen's conflict technical support in facilitating prisoner exchanges, once final lists of prisoners are agreed upon, Mirella Hodeib, the spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Yemen told Sputnik on Friday.

Jordan's capital has been the host to a meeting between representatives of the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels on the implementation of a prisoner exchange agreement since Wednesday. The two sides continue to review their lists of prisoners, and have also decided to set up committees to handle matters regarding dead and missing prisoners.

"The meetings are still ongoing in Amman and the ICRC is attending in its capacity of co-chair with the United Nations of the supervisory committee formed in Stockholm back in December to oversee the release, transfer and repatriation of detainees in Yemen.

.. When it comes to the time frame, the ICRC is ready on the logistical and technical sides and waits for the parties to agree on the final lists to proceed," Hodeib said.

Hodeib clarified that the ICRC would provide support in the form of private pre-departure interviews with each person on the prisoner lists in order to ascertain their willingness and readiness to be transferred to the other side. The ICRC will also be available, if necessary, to reconnect detainees with their families.

Prisoner exchanges fall within the framework of an agreement reached in Sweden after the most recent round of consultations on Yemen's peace settlement peace process took place in mid-December. Other humanitarian measures agreed during the consultations included the maintenance of a ceasefire in Yemen's port city of Al Hudaydah.