UN Yemen Envoy welcomes release of 52 child soldiers

The Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed hailed as "a positive step" the decision of the Saudi-led Arab coalition to release 52 Yemeni child soldiers.

    During his meeting with the delegation of the Government of Yemen (GoY) to the peace talks, the Special Envoy stressed the need to enhance coordination between the GoY and humanitarian agencies in order to increase the delivery of aid to the most affected governorates, according to a statement released by his office Tuesday night.

    Yemeni Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdulmalik Al-Mikhlafi affirmed that the process to return the 52 child soldiers to their families has begun.

    The Special Envoy welcomed their release as "a positive step," saying: "We applaud the efforts of the Coalition and the Government of Yemen especially given that we are in the month of Ramadan." "We hope that the parties will adhere to their commitment to this humanitarian issue and proceed with the release of all prisoners and detainees in the near future," he added.

    The Special Envoy also met with representatives of the two delegations of Ansarullah movement and the General People's Congress to discuss the guidelines for the peace talks in the coming period, according to the statement.

    The representatives reiterated their support for the ongoing peace talks and stressed the importance of reaching a comprehensive political settlement that will end the conflict and ensure stability for the people of Yemen.

Source: QNA