This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/03/yemen-injured-houthi-rebels-to-be-evacuated-raising-hope-of-peace-talks
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Yemen: injured Houthi rebels to be evacuated, raising hope of peace talks | Yemen: injured Houthi rebels to be evacuated, raising hope of peace talks |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Fifty wounded Houthi militants in Yemen’s rebel-held capital, Sana’a, will be evacuated to Muscat for treatment on Monday, a Saudi-led military coalition said, calling it a “confidence-building” measure before planned peace talks in Sweden. | Fifty wounded Houthi militants in Yemen’s rebel-held capital, Sana’a, will be evacuated to Muscat for treatment on Monday, a Saudi-led military coalition said, calling it a “confidence-building” measure before planned peace talks in Sweden. |
| The evacuation on a UN-chartered plane marks a key step forward in kickstarting stalled negotiations as world powers press for an end to the four-year conflict that has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. | The evacuation on a UN-chartered plane marks a key step forward in kickstarting stalled negotiations as world powers press for an end to the four-year conflict that has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. |
| The fate of wounded rebels had been a stumbling block to the start of a previous round of aborted peace talks in September. | The fate of wounded rebels had been a stumbling block to the start of a previous round of aborted peace talks in September. |
| Who are the Houthis and why are they fighting the Saudi coalition in Yemen? | Who are the Houthis and why are they fighting the Saudi coalition in Yemen? |
| “A UN-chartered plane will arrive at Sanaa international airport Monday to evacuate 50 wounded combatants accompanied by ... three Yemeni doctors and a UN doctor, from Sana’a to Muscat,” coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency. | “A UN-chartered plane will arrive at Sanaa international airport Monday to evacuate 50 wounded combatants accompanied by ... three Yemeni doctors and a UN doctor, from Sana’a to Muscat,” coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency. |
| The coalition agreed to facilitate the medical evacuations at the request of UN envoy Martin Griffiths for “humanitarian reasons” and as a “confidence-building” measure, Maliki said in the statement early on Monday. | The coalition agreed to facilitate the medical evacuations at the request of UN envoy Martin Griffiths for “humanitarian reasons” and as a “confidence-building” measure, Maliki said in the statement early on Monday. |
| There was no immediate reaction from Houthi rebels or the United Nations. | There was no immediate reaction from Houthi rebels or the United Nations. |
| The proposed UN-brokered peace talks have been backed by both the rebels and the Saudi-led government and were expected to take place in Sweden this week. UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, however, has played down the early December schedule and said he hoped talks would start “this year”. | The proposed UN-brokered peace talks have been backed by both the rebels and the Saudi-led government and were expected to take place in Sweden this week. UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, however, has played down the early December schedule and said he hoped talks would start “this year”. |
| Houthi rebels have said they will attend if they are guaranteed safe passage. | Houthi rebels have said they will attend if they are guaranteed safe passage. |
| Previous talks planned for September in Geneva failed when the Houthi delegation did not leave Sana’a, arguing that the UN could not guarantee their safe return. They also accused the world body of failing to secure the evacuation of wounded rebels to Oman. | Previous talks planned for September in Geneva failed when the Houthi delegation did not leave Sana’a, arguing that the UN could not guarantee their safe return. They also accused the world body of failing to secure the evacuation of wounded rebels to Oman. |
| Previous talks in 2016 in Kuwait broke down after 108 days of negotiations, leaving rebel delegates stranded in Oman for three months. | Previous talks in 2016 in Kuwait broke down after 108 days of negotiations, leaving rebel delegates stranded in Oman for three months. |
| In recent days, Griffiths has held talks separately with officials from both warring parties as part of efforts to lay the groundwork for talks in Sweden. | In recent days, Griffiths has held talks separately with officials from both warring parties as part of efforts to lay the groundwork for talks in Sweden. |
| Children die as foreign powers circle over Yemen's shattered land | |
| UN aid chief Mark Lowcock warned last week that Yemen was “on the brink of a major catastrophe”, following a trip to the war-wracked country. | UN aid chief Mark Lowcock warned last week that Yemen was “on the brink of a major catastrophe”, following a trip to the war-wracked country. |
| His comments came after renewed deadly clashes between Houthi rebels and pro-government forces in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, which is vital for the flow of humanitarian aid. | His comments came after renewed deadly clashes between Houthi rebels and pro-government forces in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, which is vital for the flow of humanitarian aid. |
| Under heavy international pressure, Saudi-backed pro-government forces have largely suspended an offensive launched in June to take the port city. | Under heavy international pressure, Saudi-backed pro-government forces have largely suspended an offensive launched in June to take the port city. |
| Sporadic fighting has however continued since a fragile truce began on November 13. | Sporadic fighting has however continued since a fragile truce began on November 13. |
| The United Nations has described Yemen as the world’s worst humanitarian disaster, with at least 10,000 people killed since the intervention began in 2015. Rights groups fear the actual toll is far higher. | The United Nations has described Yemen as the world’s worst humanitarian disaster, with at least 10,000 people killed since the intervention began in 2015. Rights groups fear the actual toll is far higher. |
| Yemen | Yemen |
| Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia |
| Iran | Iran |
| Middle East and North Africa | Middle East and North Africa |
| news | news |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on Google+ | Share on Google+ |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |