(Special report) monitors the escalation of international attitudes towards the abduction of the Al-Houthi militia of agency personnel

 

 The crime of kidnapping by the Houthi militia of employees working for humanitarian and relief agencies, UN, international and local, began last week to gradually escalate globally, receiving widespread international condemnation and demands for their speedy release, with warnings of further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country.

On the seventh of this month, the Houthi terrorist militia kidnapped approximately 20 employees working for United Nations agencies in Yemen and other international and local non-governmental organizations, in four governorates: Amran, Hodeidah, Saada, and Sanaa, and detained them under allegations of espionage for the benefit of America and Israel. The United Nations says that it does not yet know the locations and conditions of their detention.

Earlier, last Tuesday (June 11), United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for "the immediate release of all United Nations employees detained in Yemen by the de facto Houthi authorities."

“This is a worrying development and raises serious concerns about the Houthis’ commitment to a negotiated solution to the conflict,” Mr. Guterres said, adding: “The United Nations condemns all arbitrary detentions of civilians.” I demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detained UN staff.”

“This is a disturbing development and raises serious concerns about the Houthis’ commitment to a negotiated solution to the conflict. The United Nations condemns all arbitrary detention of civilians. I demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detained UN staff.”

On the same day, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk made a similar call for the release of the detainees, at the same time categorically rejecting “the heinous allegations against UN staff” and expressing concern about the conditions in which they are being held.

United Nations reports say that the number of detained UN employees is 13, including six from the High Commissioner for Human Rights, two from UNESCO, and one employee each from the Office of the Special Envoy, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Development Programme, UNICEF, and the World Food Programme. Along with at least 11 civil society workers, they were also detained in the operation.

The reports also confirm that "there are four other UN staff members who have been detained incommunicado by the de facto authorities (the Houthis) since 2021 and 2023, without access to their families or their organizations and agencies." According to what was reported by official United Nations websites.

 

Security Council

On Thursday (June 13), the intensity of condemnations and demands for the release of the abductees escalated, coinciding with the holding of the UN Security Council session on Yemen, whose members condemned the crime during their discussions, which followed the hearing of the briefings of the UN envoy to Yemen and the Director of Operations and Advocacy in the Office for the Coordination of Affairs. Humanity..

In his briefing, the UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, renewed the call of the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, for the Houthi militia to immediately and unconditionally release the UN employees, and others, who were kidnapped by the Houthi militia last week.

“Last week, 13 UN staff, including one of my colleagues in Sanaa, as well as five international NGO staff and several national NGO and civil society staff, were arbitrarily detained by a group,” Grundberg said. Ansar Allah, and they are still in detention without the ability to communicate with the outside world.”

He continued: "In addition, there are four employees from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), who have remained in detention without contact with the outside world since 2021 and 2023."

He called on "the Ansar Allah group to respect the rights of Yemenis under international law and to immediately release all employees of the United Nations and non-governmental organizations without conditions, and to refrain from the practice of arbitrary detention of civilians," stressing that the United Nations "is present to serve the Yemenis, and such arbitrary detentions are not a signal." "It is expected from a party seeking a solution to the conflict through mediation."

In turn, and in its briefing to the Security Council on Thursday; Edem and Surno, Director of Operations and Advocacy at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), urged the Houthis to “immediately release detained UN colleagues, all Yemeni nationals, as well as the four UN staff detained since 2021 and 2023.”

“We have received very limited information about the conditions of detention of our colleagues,” Wesorno said. “We still do not know specifically their whereabouts or the conditions of their detention.”

She also added: "We are striving to obtain clarifications from the de facto Houthi authorities on these issues, requesting access to our detained colleagues, and urging their immediate release."

She recalled international law, which “prohibits arbitrary deprivation of liberty. It also requires all parties to an armed conflict to respect and protect humanitarian workers, including against any harassment, ill-treatment, and unlawful arrest or detention.”

She warned that such actions “not only endanger UN and NGO staff, but also delay and impede the delivery of vital aid to millions of people. They also risk exacerbating levels of rumors and misinformation that are already worrying for the humanitarian community.”

He called on "the de facto Houthi authorities to stop all arbitrary arrests and detentions and to release anyone detained in this way," and reiterated "the Secretary-General's call for the immediate and unconditional release of all United Nations personnel detained in Yemen."

In the discussion that followed this session, most Council members loudly echoed the Secretary-General's call for the immediate and unconditional release of

 

Collective global condemnation

Prior to the Security Council session, the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations, Ambassador Barbara Woodward, delivered the joint statement on behalf of the countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guyana, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland , the United States, Yemen, and the United Kingdom..

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Text of the statement (after translation):

“We strongly condemn the recent arrests by the Houthis, since June 7, of UN staff, and staff working, or who have previously worked, for international and national non-governmental organizations and diplomatic missions.

We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees and urge the Houthis to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian workers and the United Nations.

We are deeply concerned about the significant and rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Yemen, and stress that it is essential for humanitarian actors to have unhindered access to the civilian population.

We are also deeply concerned about the risks to the delivery of essential humanitarian assistance. We reiterate our call for respect for international humanitarian law regarding safe, rapid and unhindered access for all humanitarian actors, to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches the most vulnerable groups in Yemen.

We reaffirm our strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen, and our commitment to stand by the Yemeni people.”

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An "unprecedented" crime globally

Also coinciding with the Security Council session, other UN and international organizations affected by these kidnappings issued their first joint statement, in which they clarified their position on the crime and clearly defined their demands.

The nine organizations are: United Nations Development Programme, Oxfam International, UNESCO, UNICEF, World Food Programme, Save the Children International, CARE, World Health Organization, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In its statement, it expressed its deep concern "about the recent detention by de facto Houthi authorities of 17 employees of our organizations... and many other persons associated with civil society organizations, national and international non-governmental organizations, and other organizations that support humanitarian work activities."

It called for their “immediate and unconditional release,” describing these detentions as “unprecedented” globally, and “directly hinders our ability to reach the most vulnerable people in Yemen.” She stressed, "The targeting of humanitarian, human rights and development workers in Yemen must stop. All detainees must be released immediately."

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International relief agencies: The Houthi arrests of our employees are unprecedented globally and hinder our work in Yemen.

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It is noteworthy that the Houthi militias, supported by Iran, had previously kidnapped, in October 2021, dozens of Yemeni employees working, or who previously worked, at the American embassy. According to reports, 11 of them are still detained, also on charges of espionage.

Following its recent arrests of humanitarian relief workers, last week, it broadcast recorded confessions of a number of previously detained Yemenis (in October 2021), after forcing them to forcibly confess to belonging to a US intelligence spy network. Which has increased the concern of United Nations organizations that the fate of their employees will be the same as their predecessors.