Latest tragedy to strike the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country came days ahead of Eid al Fitr as hundreds of people gathered in capital Sanaa to receive cash handouts.
A deal reached in Switzerland last month to exchange 181 government forces for 706 rebels, just before the major Muslim holiday of Eid al Fitr.
Recent diplomatic rapprochement between Riyadh and Tehran has paved the way for the swap of nearly 900 detainees held by rival forces in war-torn Yemen.
More than 300 prisoners scheduled to fly between Sanaa and Aden on Friday, while detainees will also be released in Marib and Mokha, as well as in Riyadh and Abha in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
Syria's FM Faisal Mekdad arrives in Jeddah and holds talks with his Saudi counterpart — in a first such trip to the Gulf state since the outbreak of Syrian civil war in 2011.
Saudi delegation's arrival comes roughly a month after China helped broker a surprise rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Rebel officials say 13 prisoners were released in exchange for a Saudi prisoner, and meanwhile, delegation from Oman arrives in Sanaa to hold talks with Houthi leaders about peace process.
The move signals that regional rifts are easing after rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to restore relations last month following years of hostility and backing opposite sides in Middle Eastern conflicts, including Yemen.
The moves to increase the flow of goods to ports across the country indicate progress in direct talks between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani says US envoy's call for peace "gratifying", stressing that Tehran had been "striving for a peace process since the beginning of the war".
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan appoints his son Khaled as crown prince, the latter having risen to prominence at the country's state security service and as chairman of powerful Abu Dhabi Executive Office.
Around 1.8 million Yemeni households are set to benefit from the grant.
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