According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 4.5 million Yemenis are internally displaced. The UN called on the Houthis to release 13 detained organization employees Peace and security
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on the Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, to release 13 detained UN staff “immediately and unconditionally.” The UN Secretary-General made a similar statement earlier on Tuesday.
“This alarming incident raises serious concerns about the Houthis’ commitment to a negotiated settlement of the conflict,” Antonio Guterres said. “The United Nations condemns any arbitrary detention of civilians. I demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detained UN staff.”
The UN chief’s call came during his meeting with the United Nations special envoy for Yemen in Jordan. António Guterres and Hans Grundberg discussed recent developments in Yemen, including the escalating crackdown on civil society activists.
UN and civil society under attack
Among the 13 UN staff detained in Yemen in the past few days are six from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, one each from the Office of the Special Envoy, the UN Development Programme, UNICEF, the World Food Program and the World Health Organization and two from UNESCO. Along with them, 11 representatives of civil society were detained.
In a meeting with the Secretary-General, Hans Grundberg outlined efforts to free the personnel, including a meeting on Monday with Mohamed Abdul Salam, the Houthis’ chief negotiator. The Special Envoy also met with senior Omani officials to seek their support.
“We are actively working through all available channels to achieve immediate and unconditional release of detained personnel,” Grundberg emphasized in an interview with UN News Service.
During the meeting, the Secretary-General and the Special Envoy emphasized that the United Nations stands in solidarity with all humanitarian workers and representatives of civil society who are providing vital assistance to the people of Yemen.
Humanitarian crisis
As a result of almost a decade of conflict between international recognized by the government and the Houthis, 17.6 million people, that is, almost half of the Yemeni population, face food shortages; Almost half of all children under five suffer from moderate or severe stunting.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 4.5 million Yemenis are forced migrants. Many of them have experienced several relocations over the past few years.
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