WHO Leader Demands Release of UN Personnel Following Discussions with Houthis
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Sanaa, Dec 27 (NationPress) The discussions regarding the release of 13 UN personnel taken into custody by the Houthi group in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, have been finalized, as stated by the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
"We persist in urging for the immediate liberation of the detainees," Ghebreyesus expressed via the social media platform X.
In June, the UN confirmed that 13 of its staff members had been detained by the Houthis in Sanaa. The militant organization accused the arrested UN staff of engaging in espionage activities for the United States.
Meanwhile, Ghebreyesus highlighted that the Sanaa International Airport was subjected to aerial bombardment just as he and other UN and WHO officials were preparing to board their flight from Yemen's capital, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
"One of our plane's crew members sustained injuries. At least two casualties were reported at the airport. The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge—only a few meters from our location—and the runway all suffered damage," he stated.
Noting that he and his colleagues remained unharmed, the WHO chief indicated that they would have to await the repairs to the airport before they could depart.
On Thursday, Israel pledged to eliminate Houthi leaders and dismantle the group’s military capabilities shortly after initiating 'intelligence-based' airstrikes targeting Houthi-controlled military sites along Yemen's western coast and in inland Yemen.
The Houthis, who dominate much of northern Yemen, have been conducting regular rocket and drone assaults against Israel, as well as disrupting 'Israeli-linked' shipping in the Red Sea since November 2023, in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amidst their ongoing conflict with Israelis.
Earlier on Thursday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the escalating tensions between Yemen's Houthis and Israel, advocating for a ceasefire, according to a statement from his spokesperson.
"The Israeli airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport, the Red Sea ports, and power stations in Yemen are particularly concerning," the spokesperson remarked on Thursday.
