UN calls for release of all aid workers detained by Yemen's Houthis

As many as 17 Yemeni employees are estimated to be among those held captive

Houthi supporters in Sanaa, Yemen. The rebel group has been asked to do 'the right thing' and free aid workers from custody. EPA

The UN's special envoy to Yemen on Thursday demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detained UN, civil society and NGO workers held by the Houthi rebels.

Hans Grundberg told the Security Council: “This includes United Nations personnel, members of civil society, staff of diplomatic missions, private sector employees and individuals from minority religious communities.”

In June, the Houthis detained more than 60 people working with the UN and other organizations, according to the UN Human Rights Office. Days later, the Houthis said they had arrested members of what they called an “American-Israeli spy network.”

Mr Grundberg warned that detentions are shrinking civic space and negatively affecting humanitarian efforts critical for Yemenis. He called on the Houthis to do “the right thing”.

“The continued detention of these individuals is a profound injustice to those who have dedicated their lives to the betterment of Yemen,” he said. “Release those detained immediately and unconditionally, and refrain from any further arbitrary detentions.”

Joyce Msuya, a senior UN aid official, said the UN was continuing with diplomatic efforts with the Houthi de facto authorities and other interlocutors.

She told the 15 member Security Council that the world body has taken steps “to minimize the exposure of staff to risk in Houthi-controlled areas.”

The UN has narrowed its focus to “essential lifesaving and life-sustaining activities,” she said, and is deprioritising broader activities to develop the Arab world’s poorest nation.

US deputy ambassador Robert Wood called out the Iran-backed group for the “shameless propaganda” put forth in an attempt to justify holding UN and other personnel.

“The Houthis continue to not only mistreat these detainees, but also seek to exploit them through the release of so-called confession videos,” he said. The Houthis have claimed those in custody are spies.

Mr Wood said it was time for the UN to adjust its non-life-saving programming and operations in Yemen to ensure the safety and security of all personnel.

Ms Msuya warned the humanitarian situation in Yemen was “steadily deteriorating” and said a “historically high” 62 per cent of surveyed households reported they do not have enough food.

“For the first time on record, three districts – two in Hodeidah and one in Taiz – are facing extremely critical levels of malnutrition ... four more districts are projected to reach this level by October,” she said.

“By the end of 2024, more than 600,000 children in government-of-Yemen-controlled areas are estimated to be acutely malnourished, and around 118,000 are projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition – a 34 per cent increase since 2023.”

The Houthis have been engaged in a civil war with Yemen’s internationally recognized government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, since 2014, when they took control of the capital Sanaa and most of the north.

The war in Yemen has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.