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  • UN Secretary-General Calls For Unconditional Release Of Seized Humanitarian Workers In Yemen

UN Secretary-General Calls For Unconditional Release Of Seized Humanitarian Workers In Yemen

UN chief urges immediate release of humanitarian workers detained by Yemen's Houthis. The detentions hamper aid efforts in the war-torn country.

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UN Secretary-General Calls For Unconditional Release Of Seized Humanitarian Workers In Yemen

Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, Israel, Iran missile attack,


Yemen’s Houthi rebels have imprisoned another seven UN personnel, marking the latest in a series of attacks on relief workers in the war-torn country.

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced on Friday the detention of the seven UN personnel and urged their “immediate and unconditional” release. Guterres emphasized that the continued arbitrary detention of aid workers is unacceptable and highlighted the UN’s ongoing efforts to secure their release.

“Their continued arbitrary detention is unacceptable,” Guterres stated, adding that such actions significantly hamper the UN’s ability to assist the millions of people in need in Yemen, which is experiencing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

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Since the middle of last year, the Houthis, supported by Iran, have imprisoned hundreds of UN and other humanitarian workers. Yemen, mired in a decade of war, is facing a humanitarian catastrophe with more than 18 million people in need of assistance and protection, according to the United Nations.

In response to the latest detentions, the United Nations has suspended “all official movements into and within” areas held by Houthis, as stated by the office of the resident UN coordinator for Yemen.

The recent detentions follow an order by US President Donald Trump to place the Houthis back on the US list of foreign terrorist organizations. Re-listing the Houthis will trigger a review of UN agencies and other NGOs working in Yemen that receive US funding, according to the executive order signed on Wednesday.

Mohammed al-Basha, a US-based risk advisory expert, described the latest detentions as “an expected reaction” to the terrorist designation. He suggested that the Houthis believe detaining UN staff will pressure the international community to influence the US administration.

No immediate comment was available from the Houthis, who seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 and currently control large parts of the impoverished country. The rebels, claiming to act in solidarity with Palestinians, have been attacking the Red Sea shipping route and firing on Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza war, prompting retaliatory strikes from US, Israeli, and British forces.

With a Gaza ceasefire starting last Sunday, the Houthis have made conciliatory moves, including releasing the 25-member international crew of the Galaxy Leader, a cargo ship seized in the Red Sea in November 2023. They have also promised to reduce attacks in the Red Sea and said they would stop targeting Israel if it adheres to the ceasefire.

The Houthis have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, although hostilities have decreased significantly since a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022. Throughout the war, the Houthis have kidnapped, arbitrarily detained, and tortured hundreds of civilians, including UN and NGO workers, according to human rights groups.

In June, the rebels detained 13 UN personnel, including six employees of the Human Rights Office, along with more than 50 NGO staff and an embassy staff member. The Houthis claimed to have arrested “an American-Israeli spy network” operating under the guise of humanitarian organizations—allegations emphatically rejected by the UN Human Rights Office.

Two other UN human rights staff have been detained since November 2021 and August 2023, respectively. In early August, the Houthis stormed the UNHCR office, forced staff to hand over the keys, and seized documents and property before returning them later that month.

The ongoing detentions and attacks on humanitarian workers pose significant challenges to aid efforts in Yemen. The UN and other international organizations continue to call for the immediate release of detained personnel and emphasize the need for safe and unhindered access to provide much-needed assistance to the Yemeni people.

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