The whereabouts of the UN and international organization staff abducted by the Houthi group “remain unknown,” said Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, noting that the Houthi authorities “have not allowed physical access to any of them, despite our repeated requests.”
“We call on the de facto authorities in Sana’a to facilitate the work of UN entities and other humanitarian actors in their efforts to serve the Yemeni people, including promoting and protecting their rights,” Shamdasani added. The UN Human Rights Office reiterated its call for the immediate and unconditional release of UN staff and all human rights and humanitarian workers detained in Yemen by Houthi authorities “without legal protection.”
The Houthis have accused the six UN human rights staff, who were arrested on June 6, of “collaborating” with the CIA and Israel’s Mossad. In response to questions from journalists, Shamdasani confirmed that the videos circulating were “essentially forced confessions,” and said that such “completely false accusations in this context are particularly worrying.”
Next Friday will mark three months since the Houthi group detained six UNHCR staff, including one woman and five men, as well as seven other UN staff in Yemen on “fabricated allegations,” according to Shamdasani.
It is noteworthy that the Houthi group kidnapped four other UN employees between 2021 and 2023, bringing the total number of UN employees arbitrarily detained in Yemen to 17 employees.
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