Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have detained nine employees of the United Nations as part of a long-running crackdown on the organisation, the UN said.
The detentions bring the number of detained UN workers in Houthi-held territories in Yemen to 53 since 2021, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement late Monday.
No details about the circumstances or timing of the latest detentions were given.
Dujarric said the crackdown has impeded “the UN’s ability to operate in Yemen and to deliver critical assistance” to the local population in the Arab world’s poorest country.
He called for “the immediate and unconditional release” of all UN staff as well as workers from other international organisations and diplomatic missions who have been detained by the rebels.
“They must be respected and protected in accordance with applicable international law,” Dujarric said. A spokesman for the rebels did not respond to calls and messages seeking comment. The rebels have previously said that their crackdown on the UN and other international groups is linked to suspected members of an alleged espionage network.
In August, the rebels raided UN offices in the capital, Sanaa, and detained 19 employees, according to the UN. They later released Lana Shukri Kataw, the deputy director of UNICEF in the country.
