”The total number of arbitrarily detained UN staff thus increases to 53 since 2021”, says Guterres' spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric in a statement.
”This action hinders the UN's ability to operate in Yemen and deliver necessary support”.
The UN has long been pressured by the Houthi movement, which has previously detained employees and colleagues from international organizations. In August, the movement carried out raids against the UN's food program (WFP) and the UN Children's Fund Unicef's offices in Yemen's capital Sanaa. Then, eleven UN staff were detained.
Yemen has been ravaged by a long-standing civil war and the Houthi movement has controlled large parts of the country for several years.
