It is very concerning to know that eleven Yemeni employees have been detained just because they are working for the United Nation agencies. This action is done by Houthi rebels in Yemen. No one has a clear idea about the situation. Especially as these are already facing tough situations and are under heavy financial pressure and facing airstrikes from a coalition led by the US. Some workers have also been detained who belong to other aid groups.
These actions come at a time when the Houthis, who took control of Yemen’s capital nearly ten years ago and have been fighting a Saudi-led coalition since then, are now also attacking ships in the Red Sea. This escalation is the sign of connection of ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza strip. All of these actions make the situation even more complex and dangerous.
The secretive group becomes more careful across the world. All of those people who disagree with it get punished. Furthermore, 44 people have been sentenced to death. Additionally UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric in New York confirmed that 11 U.N. staff members had been taken by this group.
“We are very concerned about these developments, and we’re actively seeking clarification from the Houthi de facto authorities regarding the circumstances of these detentions and most importantly, to ensure the immediate access to those U.N. personnel,” he told journalists. “So I can further tell you that we’re pursuing all available channels to secure the safe and unconditional release of all of them as rapidly as possible.”
9 are men and the remaining 2 are women from a total 11 UN staff members. Additionally some people are also part of the UN human rights agency. And others work for different United Nation programs.
According to the recent report from Mayyun Organisation for Human Rights, United Nation staff members were detained. They also mentioned other aid groups. Houthis also arrested the employees of these groups.
It is troubling to get knowledge about the situation in Yemen in which aid workers were involved. Save the children also show concern that one of their UN staff members is on a mission and we have failed to find him. They also said that we are also not sure about his safety.
Similarly CARE International also reported that one of their workers was detained without any reason. Sulafah al-Shami, a CARE spokesperson, said that they are worried about their colleagues’ safety and want to provide them a secure environment.
The Houthis received letters from Activists, lawyers, and many others. All of them urged the Houthis to release detainees instantly. This action prevented further isolation of the country.
Human rights watch mentioned that Houthis never allowed detainees to contact their families.
Niku Jafarnia from Human Rights Watch called for the release of U.N. employees and humanitarian workers detained by the Houthis.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have not addressed the detentions, but military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree mentioned unreported ship attacks. The U.S. military’s Central Command reported Houthi missile launches causing no damage and the destruction of two missiles, five drones, and one patrol boat. The Iranian-backed rebels also reported U.S.-led airstrikes in Hodeida and Sanaa. The reason for the detentions is unclear, but former U.S. Embassy employees in Sanaa have also been detained by the Houthis.
The Houthis face a tough situation, they are struggling to support the economy in different areas. For this purpose they introduced a new coin named as riyal. But many officials in the government criticized it.
The authorities in Aden are also demanding that all banks move their headquarters to Aden. They believe this will help stop the riyal from losing value and allow them to regain control over the economy.
According to Yemeni journalist Mohammed Ali Thamer, all of these conflicts get worse and cause Yemen’s economy to collapse entirely.
Furthermore, the war in Yemen took the lives of many innocent ones. About 150,000 people died. This situation also led to a severe humanitarian crisis. Houthis’ attacks on shipping distract from their domestic issues and the stalemate in the war.
From US led airstrikes,they face casualties that increase day by day. Many people face difficult situations and also suffer severe abuses.
The Houthis use child soldiers and lay indiscriminate mines. They’ve detained four U.N. staffers, showing a disregard for the rule of law.