Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Houthi rebels on Wednesday released a dozen UN international staff and allowed three others to move about freely within the UN compound after being detained at the facility. yemenAccording to the world body, the capital over the weekend.
12 international employees left sana On a UN humanitarian flight, with some relocating Jordan To continue my work there. More than 50 UN staff are still in custody Houthis as well as other non-governmental and civil society actors from various diplomatic missions.
The Office of the UN Secretary-General said, “The United Nations, at all levels, remains engaged with this case and is in constant contact with the relevant authorities in Sanaa and with relevant Member States and partners to secure his release.” Antonio Guterres Said in a statement. “We renew the Secretary-General’s call for his immediate and unconditional release.”
The Houthis have been carrying out a long-running crackdown against the United Nations and others working in rebel-held areas of Yemen. Rebels have claimed, without evidence, that detained UN staff and staff from other organizations and embassies were spies, which the UN has denied.
The detentions took place on Sunday, a day after the Houthis attacked another UN facility in Sanaa, but all staff there were reported to be safe. Five Yemenis and 15 international workers were among those detained on Sunday. The rebels released 11 other UN staff after questioning.
A U.N. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the raid, said over the weekend that rebels had seized all communications equipment from the facility, including phones, servers and computers.
The official said those detained were linked to several UN agencies, including the World Food Programme, UNICEF and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. According to the UN, rebels also attacked UN offices in Sanaa on 31 August and detained 19 staff. He later released the deputy director of the UNICEF office in the country.
Guterres this week spoke to the foreign ministers and leaders of Iran, Yemen and Saudi Arabia about how they can help secure the release of UN staff.
,
Magee reported from Cairo.