FROM Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Jeremy Laurence LOCATION Geneva We remain extremely worried about the well-being of 13 UN staff and a number of NGO employees who have been detained for over a month now by the ‘Ansar Allah’ de facto authorities in Yemen. We continue to be refused access to them. We also remain particularly concerned by the situation of two other UN staff members who were already in prolonged detention, one since November 2021 and the other since August 2023. We emphatically reject the shocking allegations, publicly broadcast, levelled against our staff, and we urge the de facto authorities in Sana’a to immediately and unconditionally release them. Our Office calls on those States and entities with influence over ‘Ansar Allah’ to use it to secure the safe and prompt release of all detained UN and NGO staff. We are also deeply worried about the conditions in which they are being held IT IS CRUCIAL that the de facto authorities ensure that those detained are treated with full respect for their human rights, and that they are able to contact their families and legal representatives. Further targeting of human rights and humanitarian workers in Yemen must cease immediately. For more information and media requests, please contact: In Geneva Jeremy Laurence +41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org Ravina Shamdasani + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org Liz Throssell + 41 22 917 9296 / elizabeth.throssell@un.org Tag and share Twitter @UNHumanRights Facebook unitednationshumanrights Instagram @unitednationshumanrights