Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday called on the Houthi group to immediately release United Nations staff held in their Sana’a prisons.
In a statement, he called for the immediate and unconditional release of those detained on Thursday, as well as UN staff, international and national NGOs, civil society, and diplomatic missions arbitrarily detained since June 2024, and those detained in 2021 and 2023. He said the continued arbitrary detention is unacceptable.
He added, “UN staff and their associates must not be targeted, arrested, or detained while carrying out their UN duties on behalf of the people they serve. The safety and security of UN staff and their property must be ensured.”
He said the continued targeting of UN staff and their associates negatively impacts our ability to assist millions of people in need in Yemen. The Houthis must fulfill their previous commitments and act in a manner that serves the interests of the Yemeni people and the overall efforts to achieve peace in Yemen.
He continued, “The UN will continue to work through all available channels to ensure the safe and immediate release of those arbitrarily detained. I welcome the collective support of international partners, NGOs, and all those working to support the Yemeni people in these efforts.”
In June 2024, the Houthis detained 13 UN staff, including six working for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as 50 NGO workers and an embassy staff member.
The Houthis claimed at the time that they had dismantled an American-Israeli spy network operating under the cover of humanitarian organizations, a claim denied by the UN.
It is worth noting that the Houthis have been holding two other UN human rights officers since November 2021 and August 2023.
These developments come after new US President Donald Trump signed an executive order re-designating the Houthis as a “foreign terrorist organization.”
