A prisoner swap is a symbolic step towards ending the Saudi-led war in Yemen
The Houthis are close to a Pyrrhic victory, but Yemen is still far from peace
They were rare scenes of joy in a war that has brought eight years of misery. For three days lines of grinning men (and the occasional woman) stepped off Red Cross planes in Sana’a and Aden, the biggest cities in Yemen. After years in captivity, some looked the worse for wear: faces drawn, black hair turned grey. But they were eager to embrace family members and celebrate their new-found freedom.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline "Time we stop"
From the April 22nd 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Middle East and Africa
On Independence Day Israel is ripping itself apart
Anger, tears and recriminations
South Africa election: who’s ahead in the polls?
Our tracker, results and guide to the presidential hopefuls
After a dramatic week in Gaza, where does the war stand?
The Rafah offensive has not really begun, and a ceasefire is probably still weeks away at best