UN chief refutes Houthi accusations against staff in Yemen

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday expressed deep concern over the continued accusations made by Yemen's Houthis against UN personnel as "dangerous and unacceptable."

"The Secretary-General is gravely concerned by the continued public accusations made by the Houthis, including on 16 October by their leadership, against United Nations personnel in Yemen. He categorically rejects all such accusations," his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Guterres "stands in solidarity with UN personnel in Yemen and the world over-accusations such as these are dangerous and unacceptable," the statement said, adding that "they seriously jeopardize the safety of UN personnel and humanitarian workers and undermine life-saving operations."

The UN chief commended humanitarian workers who "risk their lives every day while trying to save and support communities in dire need, committed to the principles of humanity, neutrality, independence, and impartiality."

"The Secretary-General salutes the unwavering humanitarian work of the United Nations and partners, which has saved the lives of hundreds of thousands in Yemen over the years," it added.

Guterres renewed his call for "the immediate and unconditional release of all personnel from the UN, non-governmental and civil society organizations, as well as diplomatic missions, who remain arbitrarily detained by the Houthi de facto authorities, some of them since 2021."

He underlined that "the Houthis must evacuate UN premises and hand back UN assets and equipment seized."

His statement came after the Houthis' recent accusation that the UN is spying for the US and Israel, displaying political bias, and failing to condemn Israel's military actions.