UN chief demands release of aid workers held by Houthis

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on June 11 for the immediate release of all United Nations staff held in Yemen by the de facto Houthi authorities, following the detention of 13 of the Organization’s personnel. 

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.

“This is an alarming development that raises serious concerns about the Houthis’ commitment to a negotiated solution to the conflict. The United Nations condemns all arbitrary detention of civilians,” Mr. Guterres said. “I demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detained UN personnel.”

The UN chief’s call came as he met with his Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, in Jordan. They discussed recent developments in Yemen including an escalating crackdown on civic space by the de facto authorities that reportedly led to the arbitrary detention of dozens of UN, NGO, and aid workers.

The Special Envoy’s Office noted that 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 over the past few days included six from OHCHR, one each from the Office of the Special Envoy (OSESGY), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP), UN World Health Organization (WHO) and two from UNESCO. At least 11 civil society workers were also arrested.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also demanded to release of the detained staff.

"Following the detention of six of our staff – among 13 UN personnel detained – I urge the de facto authorities in Sanaa, Yemen, to immediately and unconditionally release them, as well as other individuals detained in relation to their affiliation with the UN, international NGOs or other actors supporting humanitarian activities," the statement reads.