At least one of four Americans held by Houthi rebels in civil war-torn Yemen has been released, US officials say. The hostage was flown to Oman where he was met by the US ambassador, they say. Last week, the Washington Post reported that at least four Americans were being held by Houthi rebels. Meanwhile, a video of a Frenchwoman kidnapped in February has been posted for the first time since her abduction. She appeals for efforts to be made to secure her release. Isabelle Prime, who worked as a consultant on a World Bank-funded project, was seized with her translator - who was later freed - as they were driving to work in the capital, Sanaa. She called for French President Francois Hollande and Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to help secure her release, saying: "Please bring me to France fast because I am really, really tired." The identity of her captors remains unclear. A French official has confirmed the authenticity of the video. No details of the released American's identity were immediately available. Oman has been brokering talks between the Houthis and the United States to put an end to Yemen's civil war. The Houthis and army units loyal to Yemen's former leader, Ali Abdullah Saleh, overran Sanaa in September last year and are now in control of several other cities. In December, US journalist Luke Somers and South African teacher Pierre Korkie died during a failed attempt by US commandos to rescue them from an al-Qaeda hideout in south-eastern Yemen. The UN says two months of fighting and air strikes have left at least 1,037 civilians dead, including 130 women and 234 children, and displaced half a million others. There has also been massive destruction of civilian infrastructure, and a sea and air blockade has caused severe shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel.
