The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand condemn the Houthis’ detention of UN employees

The authorities of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand on Friday “strongly” condemned the recent actions taken by the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have detained several humanitarian workers, an action that could lead to negative consequences for the process of distributing humanitarian aid to the most affected populations in the country. . “We, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States condemn in the strongest terms the recent arrests by the Houthis of UN staff, diplomats and non-governmental organizations,” they said in a statement. By the US State Department. In the same vein, the five countries affirmed their support for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, and supported his request for the “imminent” release of all employees detained by the Yemeni rebels. They added, “We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees and urge the Houthis to ensure the safety of humanitarian and diplomatic workers and the United Nations,” stressing that “these arrests represent an escalation on the part of the Houthis and endanger a sensitive situation.” “peace process” in the region. They added that it is “an insult to international peace and security.” All detainees must be released immediately,” they reaffirmed their “firm commitment to Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and support for its people.” The Houthi rebels admitted at the beginning of the week that they were detaining more than a dozen United Nations staff, in addition to eleven other members of civil society. The rebels claimed that they had dismantled an important spy network led by the United States and Israel that had been operating since 2015 under the protection of non-governmental organizations and the United Nations, and camouflaged by humanitarian work. These arrests took place amid the worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where the conflict has been ongoing for nearly… A decade between the rebels and the internationally recognized authorities has led to 17.6 million people – half the population – suffering from food insecurity. Likewise, 4.5 million people remain displaced within the country, according to data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), including the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Many have been repeatedly displaced by conflict.