The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday called for the immediate release of all UN staff held in Yemen by the Houthi group, following the arrest of 13 of the organization’s personnel.
Four other UN staff members have been detained incommunicado by the Houthi group since 2021 and 2023, without access to their families or their respective organizations and agencies.
“This is an alarming development that raises serious concerns about the Houthis’ commitment to a negotiated solution to the conflict,” Mr. Guterres said. “The United Nations condemns all arbitrary detention of civilians, and I demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detained UN personnel.”
The UN Secretary-General’s call came during his meeting with his Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, while they were in Jordan on the sidelines of the Secretary-General’s participation in a high-level conference on Gaza.
The officials discussed recent developments in Yemen, including the escalating crackdown on civil space by the Houthis, which has reportedly led to the arbitrary detention of dozens of UN, NGO and aid workers.
Source: https://news.un.org/ar/story/2024/06/1131666
