A delegation of Yemen's Houthi rebels left the capital Sana'a for Sweden on Tuesday, rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdul Salam says, where UN-brokered peace talks are expected to be held.

A source at Sana'a airport told dpa the delegation was accompanied by the United Nations' special envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, on board a Kuwaiti plane.

Griffiths arrived in Sana'a on Monday in a bid to pave the way for peace talks, which come after nearly four years of war that have led to displacement, food insecurity, outbreaks of cholera and diphtheria across the country.

A previous attempt by Griffiths to hold UN-sponsored talks in Geneva collapsed in September when the rebels failed to appear.