The United Nations on Tuesday condemned a referral by Yemen's Houthis of some of the dozens of UN staff they have detained to a special criminal court.
The condemnations came while officials in the Yemeni government stressed the need to strengthen military coordination to face the Iran-backed group, enhance the presence of state institutions and improve the operational environment for humanitarian organizations.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Houthis have arbitrarily detained 59 Yemeni UN personnel, who have been held “incommunicado - some for years - without any due process, in violation of international law,” according to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
He said, “United Nations personnel, including those who are nationals of Yemen, are immune from legal process in respect of all acts performed by them in their official capacity.”
The United Nations has repeatedly rejected Houthi accusations that UN staff or UN operations in Yemen were involved in spying.
“We call on the de facto authorities to rescind the referral and work in good faith toward the immediate release of all detained personnel,” Dujarric said.
“The United Nations remains committed to supporting the people of Yemen and delivering principled humanitarian assistance.”
Meanwhile, the Yemeni Social Affairs Ministry welcomed the decision of UN children’s agency UNICEF to relocate its main headquarters from Sanaa to the temporary Yemeni capital, Aden.
In a statement, the ministry said the move comes in response to its repeated calls for the relocating of UN headquarters from the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, to maintain the safety of their staff.
“The Yemeni government, represented by Social Affairs Minister, Mohammed Al-Zaouri, will provide all forms of support and facilities to enable UNICEF perform its tasks more effectively from its new headquarters.”
Strengthen Military Efforts
In Aden, member of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Abdul-Rahman al-Mahrami held a meeting Tuesday with Defense Minister Gen. Mohsen Mohammed al-Daeri to discuss “the latest military conditions on various fronts, the level of combat readiness, the discipline of military units, as well as the ministry's efforts in the fields of training, rehabilitation and raising defense capabilities,” according to state-run news agency, SABA.
While Al-Daeri said Yemen’s armed forces “act in complete harmony in the face of Houthis,” al-Mahrami stressed the “need to strengthen coordination between military axes, and mobilize forces to face a common enemy (Houthis) and protect liberated areas.”
Meanwhile in Mareb, member of the Presidential Leadership Council Lieutenant General Sultan Al-Arada chaired a meeting with senior security officials, and stressed that a robust national security apparatus is crucial for the country's recovery.
“The recovery of state institutions from the Iran-backed Houthi militias is today an irreplaceable national priority,” he said.
The General also underscored the Presidential Leadership Council's commitment to supporting the armed forces and security agencies, enhancing their capabilities, and raising a culture of accountability and transparency.
