Barran Press
The spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani, stated on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, that the whereabouts of UN staff kidnapped by the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by the international community, remain unknown after three months.
In a statement released on the UN Human Rights website, Shamdasani said, "The de facto authorities in Houthi-controlled areas have not allowed effective access to any of the UN staff after three months of their abduction, despite our repeated requests."
She added, "This coming Friday marks three months since the detention of six of our UN human rights colleagues, a woman and five men, on June 6, along with seven other UN staff members, by the Houthi authorities."
Shamdasani pointed out that the Houthis are also holding two UN human rights officers and "colleagues" from other UN agencies since 2021 and 2023, respectively, bringing the total number of UN staff arbitrarily detained in Yemen to 17.
The statement renewed the UN High Commissioner's call for their "immediate and unconditional release, and the release of all human rights defenders and humanitarian workers similarly arrested and detained without due process."
The statement urged the Houthis to "facilitate the efforts of UN bodies and other human rights and humanitarian actors to serve the Yemeni people, including promoting and protecting their human rights."
On June 6 and 7, the Iranian-backed Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by the international community, arrested 13 UN staff members, including six from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as over 50 NGO staff and an embassy employee.