Mohammad el Shami, a staff member of the UN Human Rights Office in Yemen, had been arbitrarily detained by the Houthi de facto authorities since June 6, 2024. According to his family, he died more than a month ago, but they were informed of his death only recently.

“Mohammad’s family has not received any explanation of the cause or circumstances of his death – they deserve to know the truth,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said, describing the loss as devastating.

Records and accountability

Türk urged the Houthis to disclose all relevant medical and detention records, preserve evidence and allow an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding el Shami’s death.

“There must be accountability for wrongdoing,” he said in a statement.

He also expressed grave concern over the UN personnel who remain in detention, including seven colleagues from his own office, as well as humanitarian and civil society workers. He reiterated his call for their immediate and unconditional release.

Dozens of UN personnel remain detained

El Shami was reportedly arrested during a wave of Houthi raids in June 2024, in which 13 UN staff members were detained.

As of mid-October, 71 UN personnel were being held by the Houthis, according to the United Nations. In June, the UN Secretary-General’s office had reported that another UN colleague had died in detention.

Briefing the UN Security Council on October 9, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said many detainees were suffering from serious health problems, making their release all the more urgent.

“Under no circumstances can UN personnel be detained, much less charged with crimes, for undertaking their vital work on behalf of the Yemeni people,” Türk had said in March.

Yemen faces renewed full-scale conflict

Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since 2014, with fighting between Houthi forces and the internationally recognised government, which is based in Aden.

The relative calm that followed a UN-mediated truce in 2022 has since unravelled. On October 9, Grundberg told the Security Council that Yemen had “slid back into full-scale war, with hostilities spreading across multiple frontlines”.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that more than 22 million people in Yemen will need humanitarian assistance this year.

“By detaining our colleagues, the de facto authorities are gravely undermining our ability to support the people of Yemen during a most serious humanitarian and human rights crisis,” Türk said, urging the Houthis to change course.