UN calls for probe after UN staffer dies in Houthi custody
- UN employee Mohammad el Shami died after being held by Houthis since June 2024.
- UN High Commissioner Volker Turk called for a prompt, independent investigation.
- Yemen’s prime minister blamed the Houthis for the death.
- More than 70 UN staff and dozens of aid workers remain detained by the Houthis.
- Recent drone and missile attacks have intensified the Yemen war.
Mohammad el Shami, a Yemeni employee of the UN Human Rights Office, died while in Houthi custody after having been arbitrarily held since 6 June 2024, over two years after his abduction. His family learned of his death only recently, more than a month after it occurred, and were not told the cause or circumstances. The UN described the loss as heartbreaking and said the family deserves to know the truth.
UN rights chief and Secretary‑General condemn death and demand investigation
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that the UN is "utterly devastated" by the death and described the loss as "heartbreaking," urging that the family be given the truth. He demanded a prompt, independent and thorough investigation and urged the immediate, unconditional release of all other UN personnel held by the Houthis. Secretary‑General António Guterres condemned the death, echoing the call for a probe. The Houthis gave no immediate comment on the death. The UN rights chief also demanded a probe after the Yemeni staff member died in Houthi custody.
Yemen’s prime minister holds Houthis fully responsible
Yemen's prime minister said the Houthis were fully responsible for the death of UN employee Mohammad el Shami.
Thousands of UN and humanitarian workers still held by Houthis
The Houthis continue to hold over 70 UN staff members and dozens of humanitarian aid workers, highlighting the magnitude of the crisis. According to the Houthis, the detainees were involved in a espionage network serving the United States and Israel. They also accuse humanitarian groups of using aid operations as a cover for intelligence activities, again without proof. After the Houthis captured the capital Sanaa in 2014, a Saudi‑led coalition intervened in 2015 to back Yemen's internationally recognised government. Yemen is now split by the conflict, as the Houthis dominate Sanaa and large portions of the north and northwest, whereas forces aligned with the government control much of the south and east.
Escalating conflict sees new drone strikes and missile attacks
In recent weeks, fighting between the Iran‑aligned Houthis and the coalition has escalated, creating a damaging new front in the broader U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran. Last month Houthi strikes hit Saudi airports, including Riyadh, killing at least thirteen people and wounding over three hundred.
Saudi‑backed airstrikes on Wednesday hit a crowded market in northern Yemen, killing fourteen people and wounding fifteen, according to a Houthi health official.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government’s Ministry of Transportation reported that the Houthis carried out two ballistic missile attacks on Aden airport.
International bodies and media echo UN demand for a probe
The United Nations demanded a probe into the death of its employee in Houthi custody. The Jerusalem Post noted the death sparked calls for investigation, while The New Region and Latest news from Azerbaijan both reported the UN called for an investigation into the employee’s death.
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