Guterres condemns death of UN staff member detained by Houthis

UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed shock and condemnation on Sunday over the death of Yemeni UN employee Mohammed Al-Shami, who had been held by Houthi militias since June 2024, calling for an immediate, impartial, and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances of his death.

Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement that Al-Shami, who worked for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), had been arbitrarily detained by the Houthis since June 6, 2024. He added that the de facto Houthi authorities have provided no information about his well-being or any evidence proving he was alive, despite repeated requests from the United Nations.

He clarified that the UN is urgently seeking answers from the Houthi authorities regarding the conditions and circumstances of his death, which remain unknown.

He noted that this is the second death of a UN employee while in Houthi custody, following the death of a World Food Programme staff member in February 2025, emphasizing that it highlights the risks faced by UN personnel and humanitarian workers who are arbitrarily detained.

He renewed his call for the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees, including 70 UN staff members, five former staff members, as well as workers from humanitarian organizations and civil society groups.

He stressed the need to treat all detainees humanely, respect their dignity and rights, ensure their safety, provide them with medical care, and safeguard their physical and mental health.

Guterres expressed his condolences to Al-Shami’s family and his colleagues at OHCHR, and conveyed his solidarity with all detained staff members and their families.

Houthi militias abducted Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Shami, a staff member at the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights office in Sana’a, on June 6, 2024, denying him visits and contact as part of a campaign of abductions that has targeted dozens of UN employees, humanitarian workers, and civil society activists. His family was informed of his death on Saturday and asked to come and collect his body.

The Yemeni government held the Houthi militias fully responsible for Al-Shami’s death in their prisons, calling on the UN and the international community to protect workers from international and humanitarian organizations, and to pressure for the immediate release of all kidnapped and forcibly disappeared persons held in their prisons, putting an end to Houthi violations and respecting the sovereignty of the state and its institutions.