SANAA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- A UN spokesperson said on Thursday that Yemen's Houthi group had detained another 10 UN staff members in Sanaa, raising the total number of UN personnel held by the group to 69.
In a statement seen by Xinhua, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, confirmed "the arbitrary detention of 10 UN staff members by the Houthi de facto authorities in Sanaa," adding that the total number of detained UN staff has risen to 69.
Earlier, a Yemeni UN employee in Sanaa, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that Houthi forces had arrested four Yemeni staff members working for the UN Department of Safety and Security, the UN Development Programme, and the UN Children's Fund. The source said Houthi security personnel raided their homes before detaining them.
The Houthis did not immediately comment.
The arrests come a day after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the continued detention of UN personnel in Yemen. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday following a closed-door UN Security Council meeting, Guterres said: "I strongly condemn the continued arbitrary detention of 59 UN colleagues and partners, as well as individuals from non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, and diplomatic missions. I call for their immediate and unconditional release in accordance with international law."
He noted that the Houthis had recently referred three UN staff members to a special criminal court, adding: "This referral must be rescinded." Guterres described the ongoing detention of UN personnel as "a profound injustice to those who have dedicated their lives to helping the people of Yemen."
Sanaa and most of the northern Yemeni provinces have been under Houthi control since late 2014, although several UN and international organizations still operate offices in the city. ■
