Jordan to host talks between Yemen's warring parties A spokesman for Jordan's Foreign Ministry says the country will host a round of U.N.-backed talks between the internationally recognized government of Yemen and the Shiite Houthi rebels, about a prisoner swap deal next week

CAIRO -- A spokesman for Jordan's Foreign Ministry says the country will host a round of U.N.-backed talks between the internationally recognized government of Yemen and the Shiite Houthi rebels, about a prisoner swap deal next week.

Sufian Al-Qudah said Saturday that Jordan agreed to host the Yemenis at the U.N.'s request.

The conflict in Yemen began after the Houthis took over the capital Sanaa in September 2014, and it was exacerbated when a Saudi-led coalition, supported by the U.S., launched a devastating air campaign in 2015 to reinstall the government.

The prisoner exchange agreement was reached during talks in Sweden in December, an effort to end a war that has put Yemen on the brink of famine. Most other attempts have failed.