UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for the immediate and unconditional release of 11 UN staff arrested by Houthi authorities in Yemen.
The workers were detained by security forces in raids on the World Food Programme (WFP), children's charity Unicef, and the World Health Organization (WHO), as reported by news agencies and the UN.
Sunday's raids took place in the capital, Sanaa, and port city of Hudaydah, said UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg.
These recent arrests are not isolated; the Houthis have previously detained 23 other UN workers since 2021, and their authorities have not commented on the latest incident.
Guterres expressed his strong condemnation of these arbitrary detentions, calling for the release of the staff. He criticized the forceful entry into UN agencies and seizure of their property, emphasizing the importance of UN personnel in providing essential aid to Yemenis amid the country's ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Despite receiving assurances regarding the safety of UN staff, Grundberg highlighted that such detentions continue to obstruct relief efforts in Yemen.
Amid these tensions, heightened following an Israeli strike that killed several Houthi officials, the plight of ordinary Yemenis remains critical, with millions in need of urgent assistance due to years of conflict.
