Yemen Monitor – Newsroom:
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has leveled sharp criticism at the practices of the Houthi group, asserting that the work environment in areas under their control has become unsustainable. This assessment comes amid the continued arbitrary detention of 59 United Nations staff and its partners, along with workers from non-governmental organizations, civil society groups, and diplomatic missions.
In his briefing to the Security Council, he demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees in accordance with international law. He expressed his strong condemnation of the recent referral of three UN staff members to a special criminal court, stressing the necessity of reversing this referral and dropping all charges related to the performance of their official duties.
Guterres affirmed that the continued detention of UN staff constitutes a grave injustice against individuals who have dedicated their lives to serving the Yemeni people. He warned that these violations undermine humanitarian work, further complicate the crisis, and obstruct international efforts aimed at bringing peace to Yemen.
The Secretary-General also cautioned that any full resumption of hostilities would have serious repercussions extending beyond Yemen’s borders, affecting regional peace and security, including in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Horn of Africa. He called on all parties to exercise restraint, de-escalate, and resort to dialogue as the only option for resolving differences.
