Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
The US, France, and Germany issued warnings on Saturday about obstructing the delivery of aid in Yemen following the Houthis’ new wave of arrests against UN staff.
In separate statements, these countries condemned the new wave of arbitrary arrests carried out by the Houthi group against detained UN and aid workers, and called on the Houthis to release them immediately and unconditionally.
The US State Department said in a statement: “We condemn the Houthis’ detention of additional UN staff in Yemen.”
It added: “We support UN efforts to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of all those held by the Iran-backed militia.”
The US State Department affirmed that Washington will hold the Houthis accountable for their attacks and reckless actions.
For its part, France, in a statement issued by the French Foreign Ministry, called for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN staff, NGO workers, and diplomatic missions personnel arbitrarily detained by the Houthis.
The French statement said that “these arrests undermine the delivery of aid needed by the Yemeni people, thus contributing to the worsening of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.”
France reaffirmed its full support for the work of the United Nations in Yemen.
For its part, the German Foreign Ministry condemned the arrests carried out by the Houthi group against UN staff. In a statement, it called on the Houthis to immediately and unconditionally release all detained UN and aid workers in Yemen.
Earlier on Saturday, the EU condemned the Houthi’s arbitrary arrests of UN staff. In a statement, it said that the Houthi arrests jeopardize the delivery of humanitarian and development assistance to Yemenis.
It called on the Houthis to release all UN staff, organizations, and diplomatic missions personnel immediately and unconditionally.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned on Saturday the arbitrary detention by the Houthi terrorist militia in Yemen, which targeted seven additional UN staff members in areas under its control.
Guterres said in a press statement, “UN staff and their partners must not be targeted, arrested, or detained while carrying out their duties on behalf of the United Nations and the people they serve.”
He noted that the continued targeting of UN staff and partners “negatively impacts the ability to assist millions of people in need in Yemen.”
Guteres called on the Houthis to stop obstructing the humanitarian efforts of the United Nations and its partners to assist millions in need in Yemen.
In June 2024, the Houthis arrested 13 UN staff members, including six working for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as 50 workers for an NGO and an employee of an embassy.
The Houthis said at the time that they had dismantled an US-Israeli espionage network operating under the guise 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.
