New York [US], December 20: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the arbitrary detention carried out by the Houthi group on 18th December against 10 additional United Nations staff members, bringing the total number of detained UN personnel to 69.
In a statement, Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said these detentions have rendered the delivery of United Nations humanitarian assistance in areas under Houthi control unsustainable. He noted that this directly affects millions of people in need and restricts their access to life-saving aid.
He added that the Secretary-General called for the immediate and unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained personnel from the United Nations, non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations and diplomatic missions.
He also urged the Houthis to revoke the referral of UN staff for prosecution and stressed the need to respect international law, including the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and its staff, which are essential to enabling humanitarian work in a safe and principled environment.
Source: Emirates News Agency
