US diplomat: Houthi brazen propaganda against UN staff is appalling and must be condemned globally

It has been more than three months since Houthi militants detained dozens of UN staff, all of whom were working to deliver life-saving aid to the Yemeni people at the time of their arrest.

Speaking before the UN Security Council, Ambassador Robert Wood, the US alternate representative for special political affairs, called for “the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees, including eleven US diplomatic personnel detained since 2021.”

“The Houthis not only continue to mistreat these detainees, but also seek to exploit them by releasing so-called ‘confession videos,’” he added. “This ‘brazen’ propaganda is appalling and must be universally condemned.”

“Houthi intimidation tactics have increasingly focused on the remaining Yemeni staff of UN agencies and NGOs. Humanitarian workers in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen are increasingly concerned about their safety. There is absolutely no justification for threatening and intimidating UN staff and others carrying out their legitimate humanitarian work,” he continued.

Ambassador Wood warned that the Houthis’ continued attacks on ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways pose a continuing threat to regional peace and security, as well as international freedoms of navigation:

“These continued unjustified actions have tragically killed innocent seafarers, and continue to threaten the lives of citizens of Member States and the interests of the international community. Every time the Houthis launch an attack, they not only threaten the lives of seafarers from many nations, but also risk causing an environmental disaster by damaging oil tankers and other vessels carrying hazardous materials,” he said.

“The Houthis have made it clear that they only care about themselves,” Ambassador Wood said. “They are willing to destroy the fishing industry and regional ecosystems on which Yemen and other communities in the region depend for their livelihoods, just as they have worked to undermine the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to the region.”

Ambassador Wood urged Council members to make clear to the Houthis' backers in Tehran that they hold Iran responsible for arming the Houthis and enabling them to carry out the attacks.

The recent floods in Yemen have made support and technical assistance from the United States and other international partners more important than ever.

“This is not the time for political posturing and division,” Ambassador Wood warned. “It is time for the Council to work together to address the political, security and humanitarian challenges facing Yemenis.”

Source: VOA American website