'Last hope for Yemen': UN-sponsored peace talks start in Sweden

Sweden's foreign minister, Margot Wallstrom, opened the talks at a castle in Rimbo, a town north of Stockholm, wishing the Yemen adversaries strength to find "compromise and courage" as they embark on the difficult task ahead.

"Now it is up to you, the Yemini parties," she said. "You have the command of your future."

The UN envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths said the coming days were a milestone and urged the parties not to "waver... let us work in good faith ... to deliver a message of peace."

Griffiths announced the sides have agreed on a prisoner exchange as a first step toward building confidence. He said both sides have signaled they were serious about de-escalating the fighting through calls they've made in recent weeks, and urged them to work to further reduce the violence in the Arab world's poorest nation, scene of massive civilians suffering.

"I'm also pleased to announce the signing of an agreement on the exchange of prisoners, detainees, the missing, the forcibly detained and individuals placed under house arrest," Griffiths said. "It will allow thousands of families to be reunited, and it is product of very effective, active work from both delegations."

UN officials, however, have sought to downplay expectations from the talks, saying they don't expect rapid progress toward a political settlement but hope for at least minor steps that would help to address Yemen's worsening humanitarian crisis.

"For too many people, this (peace talks) is their last hope. We have to stop the spiralling tragedy that those who have survived are now forced to endure," Salem Jaffer Baobaid, project coordinator in Hodeida for Islamic Relief, told The New Arab.

"The people of Yemen are on their knees, which is why we are calling for an immediate ceasefire across the country as soon as possible".

The Houthi delegation arrived in Stockholm late Tuesday, accompanied by Griffiths

Both the internationally-recognised government, which is backed by a US-sponsored and Saudi-led coalition, and the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels say they are striving for peace.

The Houthi delegation arrived in Stockholm late Tuesday, accompanied by Griffiths. The government delegation and the head of the rebel delegation travelled to Sweden on Wednesday.

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Yemen needs more than peace talks and ceasefires

World Food Program's spokesman Herve Verhoosel said the "ambitious undertaking" finalises plans in the works in recent months to reach 12 million people with food and nutritional supplements through January, from between 7-8 million now.

The target population includes some 3 million women and children who need special support to prevent malnutrition. Verhoosel said the rollout will require "safe, immediate and unimpeded access for food and other vital supplies."

"It’s heart-breaking to visit our supplementary feeding centres in Hodeida; seeing children who are just skin and bone with wide open staring eyes," Baobaid told The New Arab.

"The number of babies being admitted to the centres with severe and acute malnutrition is increasing all the time, despite the fact that we are treating over 60,000 mothers, children and babies every single month...Aid agencies are playing an important role to minimise the risk of famine in Yemen, but without peace our efforts are not sustainable."


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