Grundberg discusses in Muscat the Houthi arbitrary arrests of UN employees

The UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said that he met today, Sunday, with senior Omani officials and with the head of the Houthi negotiating delegation, Mohammed Abdul Salam, in Muscat, Oman.

The UN envoy's office said, via the "X" platform, that the meeting discussed the recent arbitrary arrest of additional UN employees, which is in addition to many others who are still being held by the Houthis.

In the meeting, Grundberg reiterated the UN Secretary-General's firm position, strongly condemning these arrests, and calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained UN staff, along with workers in international and local NGOs, civil society organizations, and diplomatic missions detained since June 2024, in addition to those detained since 2021 and 2023.

They also discussed the importance of continuing regional calm as a means of improving the chances of returning Yemen to the path of sustainable peace, noting that the Special Envoy remains committed to working with all Yemeni, regional and international parties to ensure progress towards a peaceful and comprehensive solution to the conflict in Yemen, according to the statement.

The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, met today with senior Omani officials and @abdusalamsalah in Muscat, Oman.

The meeting discussed the recent arbitrary detention of additional UN staff, which adds to the many others still being held by Ansar Allah.…

- @OSE_Yemen (@OSE_Yemen) January 26, 2025

This comes at a time when informed sources told "Yemeni Youth" that the Houthi kidnapping campaign that began last Thursday is still ongoing and has so far affected 30 employees of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP ), UNICEF, USAID , and a British development programme.

The US embassy in Yemen said in a statement on Sunday that "the recent arrest of the Houthis demonstrates the terrorist group's bad faith in its claims to seek de-escalation, as well as its claims to represent the interests of the Yemeni people."

In turn, the French Embassy in Yemen confirmed that these arrests undermine the implementation of the aid needed by the Yemeni people, and thus contribute to the exacerbation of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

On Saturday, the UN Secretary-General condemned the Houthis’ arbitrary arrests of staff. He said that UN and partner staff should not be targeted, arrested or detained while carrying out their UN duties for the benefit of the people they serve.

In his statement, Guterres warned that the continued targeting of UN staff and partners negatively affects our ability to help millions of people in need in Yemen, calling on the Houthis to stop obstructing the humanitarian efforts of the United Nations and its partners to help millions of people in need in Yemen.

Source: Yemen Youth Net + Agencies