Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 15th Nov. UN agencies on Tuesday issued A call for the immediate release of two staffers detained in Yemen over two years ago by the Houthi authorities in Sana’a.
UNESCO and UN rights office released a joint statement, underlined that “we have not received information about the reasons for their detention or their status” even though officials from the Houthi movement “have repeatedly assured that their release would be imminent.”
The agencies said that in August and October this year UNESCO staff member plus a UN Volunteer worker with OHCHR had been detained in the Houthi-held capital, again, with no information being released on their whereabouts.
“This is a profoundly alarming situation as it reveals a complete disregard for the rule of law”, the agencies said.
Thousands have died and over 21 million rely on aid, 450,000 children are acutely malnourished since full-scale civil conflict erupted in 2014 between the internationally recognized Government backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and Houthi insurgents,.
The agencies said the “unacceptable detentions” are violations of the privileges and immunities accorded to UN staff under international law.
Head of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, and the Executive Coordinator of the UN Volunteers’ programme, Toily Kurbanov, reiterated their demand to release staff members “and all other people illegally detained by the de facto authority.”
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