GENEVA

The UN human rights office on Tuesday asked for the immediate and unconditional release of its six staff members who have been held in Yemen for almost three months.

"Their whereabouts remain unknown and the Houthi de facto authorities have not permitted physical access to any of them, despite our repeated requests," spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told a UN briefing in Geneva.

The six human rights staffers — one woman and five men — were arrested on June 6 together with seven other UN personnel.

Shamdasani reminded that two human rights staff and two colleagues from other UN agencies have been detained by the de facto authorities since 2021 and 2023 respectively, bringing the number of UN staff "arbitrarily" detained in Yemen to 17.

"Once again, the high commissioner (Volker Turk) demands their immediate and unconditional release, and the release of all human rights and humanitarian workers similarly arrested and detained without legal protections," she said.

She also urged the de facto authorities in Sanaa to "facilitate rather than hinder" UN entities and other human rights and humanitarian actors in their efforts to serve the people of Yemen, including for the promotion and protection of their human rights.