UN’s envoy for Yemen condemns Houthi clampdown on aid efforts and civil society

The UN’s special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, on Thursday criticized the Houthis for their assaults on human rights organizations and their treatment of aid workers in Yemen. (AFP/File)

• Hans Grundberg urges militia to halt raids on offices of foreign organizations and free abducted employees
• Comments at Security Council meeting follow UK, US and EU condemnation of Houthi takeover of UN human rights office in Sanaa this week

AL-MUKALLA: The UN’s special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, on Thursday criticized the Houthis for their assaults on human rights organizations and their treatment of aid workers in Yemen, and condemned the continuing assaults by the militia on international shipping in the Red Sea and other waters off the country’s coasts.
He told the UN Security Council that the Houthis have been cracking down on humanitarian workers and civil society groups in Yemen. He urged the militia to halt its raids on the offices of UN agencies and other foreign organizations, and to free workers and other individuals that have been imprisoned.
Grundberg called on the Houthis “to act responsibly and compassionately toward its fellow countrymen and women, and immediately and unconditionally release all UN, NGO (nongovernmental organization), civil society, diplomatic mission and private-sector employees, as well as members of religious minorities.”
He said that a Saudi-brokered deal between the Yemeni government and the Houthis had resulted in a significant deescalation of an economic battle between the warring sides that had threatened to plunge the country into renewed violence.
“Last month, with the support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the parties were able to halt a dangerous cycle of escalation that was negatively impacting Yemen’s banking and transport sectors and threatened to ignite renewed military conflict,” Grundberg said.
UK, US and EU authorities have similarly denounced the Houthis for assaults on humanitarian efforts and civil society in the parts of Yemen the militia controls. They also denounced the group for seizing the offices of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sanaa this week, and demanded the release of all abducted Yemenis who work for foreign organizations, including UN agencies.
The UN said on Tuesday that the Houthis stormed its office in Sanaa and seized papers, vehicles and furniture as the militia intensified its crackdown on UN agencies, diplomatic missions and other international organizations.
In a message posted on social media platform X on Thursday, Hamish Falconer, the UK minister for the Middle East and North Africa, called on the Houthis to halt the harassment of workers from the UN and other organizations, and for the release of all abducted employees.
“We call on the Houthis to allow the UN and all NGOs to continue their critical work for the Yemeni people and to release all detained staff immediately,” Falconer said.
US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel on Wednesday condemned the Houthis for the takeover of the UN office, accusing the militia of breaching international norms and derailing humanitarian efforts in the war-torn country.
He said the assaults on rights groups and aid organizations in Yemen, as well as attacks on shipping and threats to the Yemeni people and neighboring countries, obstruct peace efforts to end the war in the country.
“This is just one more step in an aggressive series of Houthi actions, including detentions of the UN, international organizations’ and diplomatic personnel working to help the Yemeni people,” Patel said.
“These actions will further obstruct the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Yemenis who have endured crisis conditions for far too long.”
The EU diplomatic mission in Yemen on Wednesday reiterated a plea from UN human rights chief Volker Turk for the Houthis to respect the status granted to the UN and its workers, leave the occupied office, and return seized documents and equipment.
“It is of fundamental importance to maintain the human rights monitoring and reporting capacity of the (office’s) field presence in Yemen,” the EU mission said.