UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for the immediate release of the 118 UN staff currently detained worldwide.
As reported by NAN on Thursday, Guterres, in a statement marking the International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members, said attacks against the UN increased with 179 personnel arrested or detained in 2025 alone.
The figure marks a significant increase from the 52 UN staff in detention in March 2025.
In Yemen alone, 73 UN staff remain detained by the de facto Houthi authorities, including eight from the UN’s human rights office.
The UN chief said “no colleague is forgotten” and urged member states to uphold international law to ensure safe and unimpeded humanitarian work.
“Today and every day, let’s stand with those who serve humanity, and ensure they are protected and supported as they carry out their essential work,” Guterres said.
The UN has a presence on the ground in some of the world’s most dangerous and unstable locations including Gaza, Afghanistan, Sudan, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
President of the General-Assembly, Annalena Baerbock said, “Any detention not only violates fundamental human rights, international law and immunities.
“It also undermines vital humanitarian efforts, delaying lifesaving assistance to millions of people.
“UN staff should never be a target. They are giving their lives, every day, to support communities in dire need and for the principles of the United Nations.”
In Yemen, UN staff continue to face arbitrary arrests whilst “some have been deprived of their liberty for five years now,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said.
“Every day, the injustice of their detention is compounded. Their suffering, and that of their families, is intolerable,” he added.
The UN staff are being held in areas of the country under the control of the de facto Houthi authorities.
The Human Rights chief called on the de facto authorities in Yemen to release immediately and unconditionally the 73 UN staff.
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