Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesman for the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, said today that the head of the UN “demands” the “immediate and unconditional release” of those being detained by Yemen’s Houthis.
In June this year, Dujarric announced that Houthi security forces had detained 11 UN personnel in Yemen. At that time, he said the two women and nine men work for five different UN agencies and the UN envoy for Yemen.
During today’s briefing, Dujarric said the Secretary-General “also strongly condemns the recent forced entry by the Houthis into the premises of the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights” in Sanaa. He added that the Houthis had handed the office back to UN staff today.
The Houthis, who are aligned to Iran, have attacked shipping in the Red Sea, drawing airstrikes from the United States and Britain. They have held around 20 Yemeni employees of the US Embassy in Sanaa for the past three years. The embassy suspended operations in 2014.
Source: eNCA
In other news – Talk show host Phil Donahue has died
Phil Donahue, who created and hosted The Phil Donahue Show has died at the age of 88 . In a statement first reported by the Today show on Monday, Aug. 19, Donahue’s family said the groundbreaking TV talk show journalist died in his home surrounded by his family including his wife of 44 years — actress Marlo Thomas — as well as “his sister, his children, grandchildren and his beloved golden retriever, Charlie.
The statement noted he “passed away peacefully following a long illness. Read more
