A prisoner swap is a symbolic step towards ending the Saudi-led war in Yemen

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.