Yemen’s National Airline Resumes Direct Flights to Saudi Arabia
After an eight-year break, Yemen’s national airline, Yemenia Airways, will recommence direct flights from Houthi-controlled Sanaa to Saudi Arabia. The flights will link Sanaa with Jeddah and Madinah, and the airline has said it will double the number of flights between Sanaa and Amman to six per week. The move is aimed at helping Yemeni pilgrims travel to the Kingdom, with 30,000 pilgrims already entering Saudi Arabia, mostly through the Wadea border, and around 2,600 traveling by plane. The UN’s special envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, applauded the decision and urged all parties to do more to facilitate the movement of Yemenis out of and within the country.
Yemeni Government Agrees to UN-Sponsored Talks with Houthis
The head of the Yemeni government’s delegation in the prisoner exchange discussions, Yahya Kazman, has announced that a new round of UN-sponsored consultations with the Houthis regarding forcibly disappeared people and detainees will start in the Jordanian capital Amman on Friday. The first round of prisoner swap negotiations in March resulted in the release of around 900 detainees. It was the second major exchange since the start of the war and boosted hopes for the release of thousands more prisoners. The Yemeni government appears to have reneged on an earlier resolve to boycott talks with the Houthis until the militia disclosed Mohammed Qahtan’s location and allowed his family to visit him.
Yemen’s Army Shoots Down Two Explosive-Laden Drones
Yemen’s army has said that it shot down two explosive-laden drones fired by the Houthis over army-controlled areas in the central province of Marib over the past 48 hours. It accused the militia of intensifying its drone and ground attacks in Marib and Taiz. Despite drastically curtailing their military action, primarily outside Marib, the Houthis refused to lift their siege of Taiz or stop drone and missile attacks on oil facilities in government-controlled areas.
Conclusion
Yemen’s national airline, Yemenia Airways, will recommence direct flights from Houthi-controlled Sanaa to Saudi Arabia after an eight-year break. The move is aimed at helping Yemeni pilgrims travel to the Kingdom, with 30,000 pilgrims already entering Saudi Arabia. The UN’s special envoy to Yemen has applauded the decision and urged all parties to do more to facilitate the movement of Yemenis out of and within the country. Meanwhile, the Yemeni government has agreed to a new round of UN-sponsored consultations with the Houthis regarding forcibly disappeared people and detainees. The first round of prisoner swap negotiations in March resulted in the release of around 900 detainees. Yemen’s army has accused the Houthis of intensifying their drone and ground attacks in Marib and Taiz.