Mayyun Organization: 52 UN staff members detained worldwide, 45% of them in Houthi prisons.

On the International Day of Solidarity with United Nations Staff, dozens of UN employees remain detained in Houthi prisons for months, with the group refusing to release them. Their only crime is working to serve the most vulnerable communities and groups in a country that has been suffering from conflict for ten years.
According to United Nations statistics, there are 52 UN staff members detained worldwide, 45% of whom are held in Houthi prisons. One of them, Ahmad Abdelkhaleq Baalawi, a World Food Programme employee, died while in custody of the Houthi security and intelligence services.
This significant percentage of the total number of detained individuals globally reflects the systematic hostility against humanitarian work and the international institutions supporting it in Yemen.
At Mayyun Organization, we express our solidarity with all detainees worldwide, particularly those imprisoned by the Houthi group. We call for their immediate release and safe return to their families and loved ones.
Issued by Mayyun Human Rights Organization
March 25, 2025