Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
Human Rights Watch called on Friday for increased international pressure on the Houthi group to immediately free United Nations staff six months after their arrest.
The organization said that over the past six months, the Houthis in Yemen have arbitrarily detained and disappeared at least 17 UN staff, in addition to dozens of employees from non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, and private companies.
According to the organization, despite calls from the UN and international states for their release, the Houthis continue to hold these individuals without charges and, in most cases, without adequate access to lawyers or family members.
The armed group launched this arrest campaign on May 31. The Houthis raided the homes and offices of the detainees in Sana’a, Yemen’s largest city, and other northern governorates without presenting arrest or search warrants. While at least two people have been released, most of those who remained in detention have been denied legal representation, family visits, and other basic rights. A former Save the Children employee and two former education ministry officials have died in Houthi prisons since the fall of 2023.
Yemenis are already experiencing “one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises,” according to the UN, a crisis that requires increased funding and greater cooperation between national and international actors to provide essential aid, including food, water, and medical supplies. According to the UN, “24.1 million people – 80% of the population – need humanitarian assistance and protection.”
On November 26, the Swedish government decided to “phase out” its development assistance to Yemen. Benjamin Dousa, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, said this decision was made “against the backdrop of the Houthis’ increasingly destructive actions in the northern parts of the country, including the kidnapping of UN staff.”
The organization said: The Houthis must release all UN and civil society staff, lift restrictions on humanitarian aid, and engage in meaningful dialogue and cooperation with humanitarian actors to address the country’s multiple crises, while fulfilling the economic rights of the people. They must also end all arbitrary arrests.
It continued: While the UN has repeatedly called for the release of its detained staff and civil society staff, the UN and the international community must escalate their demands for the Houthis to release the detainees and better coordinate their efforts towards this common goal.
It added: UN agencies must also redouble efforts to protect and support their remaining staff in Yemen.
