The United Nations expressed "serious concerns" on Saturday regarding the safety and security of its employees and their families who are detained by the Houthi group, which was designated as a terrorist organization in 2021 and 2023.

This statement was made in a joint declaration from several UN agencies and international humanitarian organizations, published by the office of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen on its official website, as reported by Barran Press.

The UN clarified that the Houthi authorities have referred a significant number of detained colleagues to the "criminal prosecution" system. Among those referred are three UN employees—two from UNESCO and one from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The organization expressed deep concern over this serious development, stating that potential charges against its staff represent a significant escalation in their plight and that of their families.

The UN noted that this action could negatively impact its ability to provide humanitarian assistance to millions in need in Yemen, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian crisis.

In the joint statement, the UN and its partners called for the immediate and unconditional release of all employees held "arbitrarily" in Yemen. They held the Houthi group fully responsible for the safety of the detainees and urged them to cease targeting humanitarian workers, including arbitrary detention, intimidation, mistreatment, and false allegations.