June 15 () –
The authorities of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand have “strongly” condemned this Friday the most recent actions of the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have detained several humanitarian workers, an act that could trigger negative consequences for the distribution of humanitarian aid for the most affected population in the country.
“We, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, condemn in the strongest terms the recent detentions by the Houthis of United Nations personnel, diplomats and non-governmental organizations,” they said in a statement. set shared by the US State Department.
Along the same lines, the five countries have reiterated their support for the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, and have supported his request for an “imminent” release of all personnel held by the Yemeni rebels.
“We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees and urge the Houthis to guarantee the safety of humanitarian, diplomatic and United Nations personnel,” they added, stressing that “these arrests represent an escalation by the Houthis and put at risk endangers a delicate peace process” in the region.
“They are an affront to international peace and security. All detainees must be released immediately,” they added, while reaffirming their “firm commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen.” as well as support for his people.
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.
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