The EU warns of the repercussions of the detention of humanitarian workers by the Houthis in Yemen

June 14 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, has warned that the arrest of several humanitarian workers by the Houthi rebels in Yemen could trigger negative consequences for the distribution of aid to the population most affected by the situation. in the country.

“The European Union strongly condemns the latest Houthi arrests of United Nations personnel and workers of national and international non-governmental organizations,” Borrell said in a statement released this Friday.

“The European Union is also deeply concerned about the negative repercussions that this could have on the provision of humanitarian and development assistance that the Yemeni population urgently needs,” added the highest representative of community diplomacy.

Thus, the bloc has called on the Houthis of Yemen to allow free access for humanitarian actors to the country, while demanding that they respect and preserve the security of humanitarian and United Nations personnel in the country, “in line with International Humanitarian Law.”

Finally, Borrell stressed that the European Union has repeatedly condemned the “unacceptable” attacks by the Houthis on ships in the Red Sea, offensives launched against ships linked to Israel as a sign of support for the Palestinian population within the framework of the war in the Gaza Strip.

The Houthi rebels acknowledged at the beginning of the week that they were holding more than a dozen UN workers, as well as eleven other members of Yemeni civil society. The rebels claimed that they had dismantled an important spy network led by the United States and Israel that had operated since 2015 under the protection of NGOs and the UN, and camouflaged with humanitarian work.

These arrests have taken place amid the deepening humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where nearly a decade of conflict between rebels and internationally recognized authorities has left 17.6 million people – half the population – in food insecurity situation.

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 many who have been displaced repeatedly due to the conflict.