Today marks the first anniversary of the abduction of several United Nations employees in the capital, Sana’a, by the Houthi group. These abductions occurred without any legal justification or due judicial procedures, representing a blatant violation of international treaties and conventions and a direct threat to the safety and freedom of humanitarian workers in Yemen.
The abductions in June 2024 targeted not only UN employees but also staff from NGOs, civil society organizations, and diplomats. This dangerous precedent undermines the humanitarian work environment, puts the lives of aid workers at risk, and weakens the ability of these organizations to deliver assistance to the most vulnerable, especially amid Yemen’s accelerating economic collapse due to the ongoing war.
We at the Abductees’ Mothers Association strongly condemn these violations and hold the Houthi group fully responsible for the safety and lives of all detainees.
We urge the international community and all local and international human rights organizations and bodies to fulfill their legal and humanitarian responsibilities and to exert serious pressure for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN employees and all other abductees. We stress the importance of adherence to international laws that ensure the protection of humanitarian workers.
We express our solidarity with the families of the abducted employees and emphasize the need for collective action to secure their release and to end the suffering of the abducted.
Issued by the Abductees’ Mothers Association
Wednesday, June 4, 2025