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STORY: UN / YEMEN UPDATE
TRT: 02:39
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 02 JUN 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, United Nations headquarters
02 JUN 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, press briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Let me turn first to a statement on Yemen. This June we mark a grim milestone. It’s been one year since the arbitrary detention of dozens of personnel from the United Nations, national and international NGOs, civil society organizations, and diplomatic missions, these detentions by the Houthi de facto authorities in Yemen. The Secretary-General renews his call for their immediate and unconditional release, including those held since 2021 and 2023, and most recently, detentions in January. He also reiterates his strongest condemnation of the death in detention of a World Food Programme colleague that took place earlier this year. The Houthi de facto authorities have yet to provide an explanation for this deplorable tragedy, and he renews his call for an immediate, transparent and thorough investigation and accountability. Mr. Guterres says he stands in solidarity with all detained colleagues in Yemen and their families and pays tribute to their essential work and their families’ perseverance. We and our humanitarian partners should never be targeted, never be arrested and never be detained while carrying out our mandates for the benefit of the people we serve. The continued arbitrary detention of our colleagues is a profound injustice against those who dedicate their lives to providing life-saving assistance and support to the people of Yemen. It has placed additional constraints on our ability to operate effectively and undermined mediation processes to secure a path toward peace. The Secretary-General urges the Houthis, yet again, to immediately release all those arbitrarily detained. Particularly on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha, this is a time to show compassion. It is a time to end the ordeal of families who face celebrating yet another holiday without their loved ones. To our detained colleagues, the Secretary-General wants them to know that they are not forgotten. We will continue to work through all possible channels to secure their safe and immediate release, and he calls upon Member States to continue expressing their solidarity with those detained and intensify advocacy for their release. Finally, we welcome the collective support of international partners, NGOs and all those working to support the people of Yemen in these efforts.”
4. Wide shot, end of pressbriefing
“The continued arbitrary detention of our colleagues is a profound injustice against those who dedicate their lives to providing life-saving assistance and support to the people of Yemen,” a UN spokesperson said.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric speaking to reporters today (02 Jun) relayed a message from Secretary-General António Guterres condemning the actions of the Houthi de facto authorities.
Marking one year since the mass detention of UN and NGO personnel in Yemen, the United Nations renewed its call for the “immediate and unconditional release” of all those detained, including individuals held since 2021, 2023, and most recently in January.
Guterres also condemned the death of a World Food Programme staff member in Houthi custody earlier this year. “The Houthi de facto authorities have yet to provide an explanation for this deplorable tragedy,” Dujarric said. He added that the Secretary-General “renews his call for an immediate, transparent and thorough investigation and accountability.”
The Secretary-General emphasized that humanitarian personnel “should never be targeted, never be arrested and never be detained while carrying out our mandates for the benefit of the people we serve.”
Dujarric noted that the detentions have not only jeopardized individual lives but also severely impacted humanitarian access and peace mediation. “It has placed additional constraints on our ability to operate effectively and undermined mediation processes to secure a path toward peace.”
Guterres also appealed to the Houthis to demonstrate compassion ahead of Eid Al-Adha. “This is a time to show compassion. It is a time to end the ordeal of families who face celebrating yet another holiday without their loved ones.”
“We will continue to work through all possible channels to secure their safe and immediate release,” said Dujarric.
