Yemen: UN Envoy Condemns Houthi Group's Detention of 40 UN Employees

Arab Sea Newspaper - News Updates

Arabian Sea - Yemen - Follow-ups: The United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, expressed his deep concern regarding the recent detention campaign carried out by the Houthi group, noting that more than 40 UN employees are currently being arbitrarily detained, in addition to the storming of the organization's offices and the confiscation of its property. Grundberg's statements came during his meeting in Saudi Arabia with a number of ambassadors of countries accredited to Yemen, including representatives of the five permanent members of the Security Council. In the same vein, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric strongly condemned these measures, and renewed the call for the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees, including 23 UN employees who have been detained for years, in addition to employees of non-governmental organizations and diplomatic missions. For his part, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, considered these illegal detentions to be "a direct attack on the United Nations system," calling for the release of all detainees immediately and without any restrictions or conditions. In a related context, Grundberg warned of the repercussions of the military escalation between the Houthis and Israel, stressing that the continuation of attacks threatens regional stability and undermines peace efforts in Yemen. Dujarric also stressed the need to stop these attacks, warning that any further escalation could increase tensions and destabilize Yemen and the entire region, calling on all parties to abide by international law.