Yemen - Volker Türk Demands Release and Rejects Houthi Charges that Detained UN and NGO staff Were Spies: AFP / France 24
Editor's Note: The number of UN and NGO staff detained is now thought to be 18 of which 13 are UN staff.
Excerpt
"Providing a detailed breakdown on the UN side, Turk’s statement said 13 of the world body’s personnel had been detained, including six members of his own staff. I urge the de facto authorities in Sanaa, Yemen, to immediately and unconditionally release them, as well as other individuals detained in relation to their affiliation with the UN, international NGOs or other actors supporting humanitarian activities,” he said.....Any further targeting of human rights and humanitarian workers in Yemen must cease immediately,” he said."Excerpt:
"Mohammed Albasha, senior Middle East analyst for the Navanti Group consultancy, called the espionage charges a "pretext", saying the move aims to "systematically eliminate non-governmental organisations in Yemen".The arrests aim to force "foreign organisations or members of the international community seeking to conduct, fund, or implement projects inside the country" to deal exclusively with Huthi-run bodies, he said in a commentary published ahead of the rebels' announcement."
A recent announcement by the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, clarifies that the total of UN staff currently held by Houthi authorities in Yemen is now 17. In addition to the 13 UN staff and 5 staff of international NGOs detained last week, four others have been held since 2021 and 2022 (two each year).
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