Yemen: ICRC to start preparations for release, transfer and repatriation of detainees following agreement in Amman

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) welcomes the agreement between the parties to the conflict in Yemen on the release, transfer and repatriation of detainees.

The positive outcome of negotiations in Amman, co-chaired by the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations for Yemen, and the ICRC, represents a crucial step forward.

“Today’s agreement has brought families closer to the reunifications they have been so anxiously waiting for,” said Christine Cipolla, the ICRC’s head of delegation in Yemen. “Now that the identities of those detainees who are to be released, transferred and repatriated have been agreed, the ICRC is ready to assume its role as a neutral intermediary in implementing these complex humanitarian operations.”

In the next phase, the ICRC will require full and unhindered access to all detainees included in the agreement. This access is essential to conduct private interviews and confirm each individual’s voluntary consent to be included in the process, so as to ensure that the operations are carried out safely and with dignity for all concerned.

“We count on all parties to extend their full cooperation so that we can start preparations to implement the agreement and ensure the process runs smoothly,” Cipolla said.

The ICRC commends the parties for reaching a common agreement. It also expresses its sincere appreciation to the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations to Yemen for its leading role in these intensive negotiations and extends its gratitude to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for hosting these talks.

Note to editors:

The ICRC’s role as a neutral intermediary in these transfers is set out in the December 2018 Stockholm Agreement and stems from its neutral, impartial and humanitarian mandate, which is grounded in international humanitarian law. The ICRC carried out the release, transfer and repatriation of more than 1,000 detainees in 2020 and more than 900 detainees in 2023 under this framework.

About the ICRC:

Since 1863, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has worked to relieve suffering and preserve human dignity during war and armed violence. Alongside our Red Cross and Red Crescent partners, we deliver life-saving aid across front lines and strive to reconnect families and locate missing people.

Engaging with authorities and armed forces on all sides, often confidentially, we advocate for humane treatment of detainees and urge compliance with international humanitarian law to protect civilians from harm, including online.

For more information, please contact:

Iscander Saeed, ICRC Sana’a, Tel.:+967 730 500 719, ialmamari@icrc.org 

Hachem Osseiran, ICRC Dubai, Tel.:+971 50 425 4091, hosseiran@icrc.org
Press Office, ICRC Geneva, Tel.: +41 22 730 34 43, press@icrc.org

or visit our website: www.icrc.org

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