The United Nations confirmed that the Houthi rebels ordered American and British UN employees in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, to leave the country within a month due to the American and British bombing of their sites in response to attacks against ships in the Red Sea. .
According to the spokesman for the United Nations Secretariat, Stephane Dujarric, he highlighted that he “received de facto communications from the authorities,” demanding a withdrawal from the Houthi-controlled area of the country. “Any request or request for the departure of United Nations staff based solely on the nationality of these staff does not comply with the legal framework applicable to the United Nations,” Dujarric stressed, adding that this action “hinders” its ability to fulfill its mandate to support the United Nations. Yemeni people.
In this sense, he called on the Yemeni authorities to ensure that UN staff “are able to continue to carry out their duties,” and seize the opportunity to emphasize that “all staff serve the flag of the United Nations with integrity.”
It is not known how many employees will be affected, but the acting UN coordinator in Yemen, Peter Hawkins, is British, and the World Food Program representative, Richard Ragan, is American.
