Geneva — The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has welcomed the preliminary agreement reached between Yemen’s warring parties to release detainees held in connection with the conflict, while announcing its readiness to support and facilitate the process.

Christine Cipolla, Head of the ICRC delegation in Yemen, stated: “We are ready and determined to carry out the release, transfer, and return of detainees so that families torn apart by war can be reunited in a safe and dignified manner.”

She emphasized the importance of cooperation from all parties, urging them to respect their commitments under the agreement and swiftly identify the detainees scheduled for release.

The ICRC recalled that the Stockholm Agreement of December 2018 established its role as a neutral intermediary in prisoner release operations, consistent with its impartial and humanitarian mandate under international humanitarian law. Within this framework, the organization facilitated the release of over 900 detainees in 2020 and more than 1,000 in 2023.

The committee stressed that the latest agreement represents another opportunity to ease the suffering of detainees and their families, while reinforcing confidence-building measures between the parties to the conflict.