Peace and Security
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) remains “extremely worried” for the well-being of 13 UN staff and a number of NGO
employees arbitrarily detained in Yemen, spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said on Tuesday, demanding their unconditional
release.
The staffers have been held incommunicado by the de facto authorities in Yemen who hold the capital and large swathes of
the war-wracked country, formally known as Ansar Allah.
More commonly known as the Houthis, they have been fighting for overall control of Yemen against a coalition of
pro-Government forces since 2015.
“We continue to be refused access to them”, said Mr Laurence. “We also remain particularly concerned by the situation of
two other UN staff members who were already in prolonged detention, one since November 2021 and the other since August
2023,” he told reporters in Geneva.
He underscored that the UN “emphatically” rejects shocking and false allegations made publicly against the staff members
being held.
The OHCHR spokesperson called on States and others which influence over the Houthis to help secure the safe and prompt
release of all those detained.Respect for human rights
“It’s crucial that the de facto authorities ensure that those detained are treated with full respect for their human
rights, and that they are able to contact their families and legal representatives,” Mr. Laurence insisted, voicing
concern over the conditions they face in captivity.
Any further targeting of human rights and humanitarian workers in Yemen must cease immediately, he added.
The 13 UN Staffers were detained in June. Four additional UN staff members have been detained and held incommunicado by
the de facto authorities since 2021 and 2023, without access to their families or their respective organizations and
agencies.Agencies involved
As the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen (OSESGY) indicated back in June, the four staff
held ahead of the latest detentions worked for the UN education, scientific and cultural agency, UNESCO, and the UN
human rights office, OHCHR.
The 13 UN staff detained include six who work for rights office OHCHR and one each from the Office of the Special Envoy
in Yemen (OSESGY), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP),
the World Health Organization (WHO) and two from UNESCO