Barran Press
The internationally recognized Yemeni government criticized the United Nations on Tuesday for its handling of the Houthi group's abduction of UN staff and humanitarian workers in Yemen. This statement was made by Yemen's Minister of Human Rights, Ahmed Arman, during a speech at the current session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Arman expressed astonishment at the UN Human Rights Commission's stance, accusing it of deliberately downplaying several abduction cases involving employees over the past two years, particularly the widespread kidnappings this year and multiple intrusions into the commission's office in Sana'a by the Houthis.
He noted that the commission and its representative in Yemen have not taken any serious action regarding the Houthi practices against UN personnel, who have been denied basic rights over the years, with violations escalating this year, including the storming of their office during a visit by UN representative Julian Harris.
The minister voiced the Yemeni government's grave concern over the lackadaisical approach of the UN resident representative in Yemen toward the abduction crisis, highlighting a reluctance to take decisive action or issue clear statements regarding these violations.
According to Arman, this weak response and lenient stance toward gross human rights violations have significantly impacted the safety of international staff working in conflict zones, eroding trust in the UN’s ability to protect human rights and its personnel.
He called for an investigation into this failure and urged the UN to take concrete steps to ensure such incidents do not recur, including enhancing international oversight and ensuring that all UN representatives adhere to standards of transparency and justice, as well as calling for the immediate release of all hostages.
Earlier, a joint statement from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, and Yemen called on the Houthis to release humanitarian workers immediately. The statement, published on the U.S. embassy’s website, urged the group to allow all staff to perform their duties without fear, respect international standards, and ensure the safety of all diplomatic and humanitarian personnel, as well as UN employees.
The signatory nations expressed their intention to explore all possible diplomatic channels to advance negotiations for the release of the detained workers. They reaffirmed their commitment to Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, standing in solidarity with the Yemeni people, while welcoming the UN's decision to suspend all non-life-saving and unsustainable activities in areas controlled by the Houthis.
Last Friday, the UN announced it would suspend all non-life-saving activities in Houthi-controlled regions to protect its staff from escalating risks. This decision followed a comprehensive security assessment of the situation in those areas, although it does not affect the provision of life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians throughout Yemen.
Since early June, the Houthi group has conducted a campaign of arrests targeting employees of UN agencies and international organizations, abducting 13 UN staff members, including six from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as over 50 NGO workers.