MojNews-The UN&#۳۹;s special envoy for Yemen welcomed the release Monday of hundreds of detainees by the country&#۳۹;s Houthi  forces.

“I hope this step will lead to further initiatives that will facilitate the exchange of all the conflict-related detainees," Martin Griffiths said in a statement. 

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since ۲۰۱۴, when Houthi fighters captured much of the country, including Sanaa. The crisis escalated in ۲۰۱۵ when a Saudi-led military coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.