UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for the urgent release of the 118 United Nations staff currently detained across the globe, highlighting a significant rise in s against UN personnel.
In a statement marking the International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members, Guterres noted that 179 UN staff were arrested or detained in 2025 alone, up from 52 in March 2025. Yemen remains the most affected, with 73 staff members held by the de facto Houthi authorities, including eight from the UN human rights office.
“No colleague is forgotten,” Guterres stressed, urging member states to uphold international law to ensure UN personnel can carry out their humanitarian duties safely. He emphasized the need for unimpeded operations, particularly in volatile regions such as Gaza, Afghanistan, Sudan, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Echoing this call, President of the UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock condemned the detentions, stating they violate human rights and international law, while undermining critical humanitarian efforts. She noted that UN staff risk their lives daily to aid communities in need.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged the Houthi authorities to release the detained personnel immediately and unconditionally. He described the continued detention as intolerable, with some staff deprived of their liberty for up to five years.
The International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members commemorates the abduction of Alec Collett, a former journalist with UNRWA, who was kidnapped in 1985 and found deceased in Lebanon in 2009. The observance seeks to mobilize action, demand justice, and strengthen protections for UN staff, peacekeepers, and humanitarian workers worldwide.
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