UN vows to continue efforts to free staff detained by Houthi militia in Yemen.
The United Nations has reaffirmed its ongoing efforts to secure the release of its staff, along with employees of international organizations and diplomatic missions, who have been held captive in prisons run by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen for over a month.
During the daily press briefing held at the United Nations headquarters on Friday, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated, “It has now been more than a month since the majority of them were arbitrarily detained.” He noted that four colleagues from the United Nations have been held since 2021.
Dujarric added, “Senior UN officials continue to work through all possible channels to secure the immediate and unconditional release of those arbitrarily detained.”
He mentioned that earlier this week, the UN Secretary-General sent a letter of solidarity to the organization’s staff in Yemen, expressing “deep concern for the safety of Yemeni UN staff, workers in national and international non-governmental organizations, diplomatic missions, civil society, and partners who have been arbitrarily detained by the de facto Houthi authorities.”
The UN spokesperson emphasized, “We, along with national and international non-governmental organizations, diplomatic missions, civil society, and other partner employees, should never be targeted, never be arrested or detained while performing our duties for the benefit of the Yemeni people.”
He called on the Houthis to “immediately and unconditionally release all of them, to treat them with full respect for their human rights, and to allow them to contact their families and legal representatives.”
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