Last year alone, 179 UN staff members were arrested or detained, more than triple the number recorded at the same time the previous year.
Marking the International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members, Guterres said “no colleague is forgotten”, urging all Member States to uphold international law and ensure safe, unimpeded humanitarian access. The UN continues to operate in some of the world’s most dangerous environments, including Gaza, Sudan, Afghanistan, Haiti, Yemen, Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The situation is particularly severe in Yemen, where 73 UN staff remain detained by the de facto Houthi authorities, including eight from the UN human rights office. Some have been held for as long as five years.
“Every day, the injustice of their detention is compounded,” UN human rights chief Volker Türk said. “Their suffering, and that of their families, is intolerable.”
Türk demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detained personnel. “Under no circumstances can UN staff be detained, much less charged with crimes, for undertaking their vital work on behalf of the Yemeni people,” he said.
General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock condemned the growing number of arrests, warning that detaining UN staff violates fundamental human rights and undermines emergency assistance to millions. “Any detention not only violates international law and immunities, it delays lifesaving humanitarian assistance,” she said.
In a video message, Baerbock added: “UN staff should never be a target. They are giving their lives every day to support communities in dire need.”
The International Day of Solidarity commemorates the abduction of Alec Collett, a Journalist working for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, who was kidnapped in Lebanon in 1985. His remains were recovered in 2009.
The day aims to mobilise global action to protect UN staff, peacekeepers and humanitarian workers, who continue to face increasing threats.
“Today and every day, let us stand with those who serve humanity,” Guterres said. “We must ensure they are protected as they carry out their essential work.”
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
