Three months after their kidnapping, the United Nations renews its demand for the Houthi militia to unconditionally release its employees

The United Nations Human Rights Commission renewed its call to the terrorist Houthi militia to immediately and unconditionally release the kidnapped United Nations employees and all workers in international, local and UN organizations in Yemen.

“Today (Friday) marks three months since six of our colleagues were arrested in Yemen by the de facto Houthi authorities, bringing the number of UN staff arbitrarily detained in the country to 17,” the commission said in a brief statement on its X platform account.

"All detained UN and NGO workers must be released immediately and unconditionally," she added.

#Yemen : Today marks 3 months since 6 of our colleagues were arrested by de facto authorities, bringing the number of UN staff arbitrarily detained in the country to 17.

All detained UN & NGO workers must be immediately and unconditionally released.

— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) September 6, 2024

The spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani, said last Tuesday that six UNHCR staff in Yemen, including a woman, and seven other UN staff were kidnapped by the Houthi militia on June 6. “Their whereabouts remain unknown and the Houthi de facto authorities have not allowed actual access to any of them, despite our repeated requests.”

The UN spokeswoman called on the militia authorities to immediately and unconditionally release them, as well as four other UNHCR and UN staff who were kidnapped during 2021-2023, and to release all human rights and humanitarian workers who were arrested and detained without any legal protection.

The Commission also called on the militia authorities to facilitate the efforts of UN agencies and other human rights and humanitarian actors to serve the Yemeni people, including the promotion and protection of their human rights.