Yemen: Death of a UN Staff Member Held by the Houthis Prompts Call for Inquiry
· BehindLines newsroom
A staff member of the UN human rights office (OHCHR) in Yemen has died while held by the Houthis, and the United Nations is demanding an independent investigation. The death occurred more than a month ago, but his family was informed only recently, according to a statement issued on Saturday, 31 October.
A death announced late
According to Al Jazeera and Euronews, Mohammad el-Shami had been detained since June 2024. The Houthis had then arrested more than 60 people working with the UN and NGOs, accusing them of belonging to an "American-Israeli spy network." Euronews reports that the family received no explanation of the cause or circumstances of his death; Al Jazeera adds that the Houthis did not say how he died.
What the UN is asking for
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk says the family "deserve to know the truth" and calls for an "urgent, independent and thorough investigation." According to Euronews, he also asks for access to medical and detention records, preservation of evidence and independent scrutiny of any stated cause of death. He says he is gravely concerned for seven other OHCHR colleagues still held and calls for their immediate and unconditional release. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says he is "appalled," per Al Jazeera, and that the UN is "urgently seeking answers."
A backdrop of detentions and war
Al Jazeera notes this is the second UN staff member to die in Houthi detention, after a World Food Programme employee in February 2025. In total, 72 UN and NGO workers have been detained. The Yemeni government's prime minister, Shaya al-Zindani, holds the Houthis fully responsible and says more than 70 UN staff remain in their hands, according to Euronews. The same outlet notes that the Houthis declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia in July. A Houthi strike on Riyadh's airport last month killed 13 people and injured more than 300, according to Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority cited by Euronews.