These arrests have made the delivery of humanitarian assistance in areas controlled by the Houthis unsustainable, directly affecting millions of people in need and limiting their access to life-saving assistance, UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement.
“The Secretary-General calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained personnel of the United Nations, but also of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society and diplomatic missions,” he stated.
“Mr. Guterres calls on the Houthis to rescind the referral of UN staff for prosecution,” he added, further calling for respect for international law, including the privileges and immunities of the UN and its staff, “which are essential to enable humanitarian action in a secure and principled environment.”
The Secretary-General and the United Nations will continue our sustained efforts with Member States and the Security Council, as well as through direct engagement with the Houthis, to secure the release of all detained United Nations colleagues.
Bodies of Bangladesh peacekeepers killed in Sudan attack repatriated
The bodies of six UN peacekeepers who were killed last weekend in a drone strike on their camp in Kadugli, South Kordofan, Sudan, were transported to their home country of Bangladesh on Friday.
The peacekeepers, serving with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), included Corporal Muhammed Masud Rana (37), Private Muhammed Sabuj Mia (29), Private Muhammed Jahangir Alam (29), Private Santo Mondol (26), Private Shamin Reza (28) and Private Muhammed Mominul Islam (35).
“Once again we send our deepest condolences to their families, their colleagues, the government and the people of Bangladesh,” UN spokesman Dujarric told reporters in New York.
He reiterated that attacks against UN peacekeepers “are not only unacceptable, but may constitute a war crime,” and emphasized that accountability must prevail in this case and all others.
Mr. Dujarric further noted that eight of the nine injured peacekeepers are receiving medical treatment in Nairobi, Kenya, and one has been discharged after receiving care at the Mission’s medical center in Abyei.
Humanitarian organizations are supporting people affected by the deadly overnight attacks in Ternopil, western Ukraine.
Attacks disrupt critical services in Ukraine
A new wave of Russian attacks severely disrupted critical services in Ukraine, exacerbating humanitarian needs amid harsh winter conditions, the UN Aid Coordination Office (OCHA) reported.
Between Thursday and early Friday there were several fatalities and more than 30 people were injured, according to Ukrainian authorities.
A bridge and a railway station were hit in Odessa, where a woman was reportedly killed, while her three children and several other civilians were injured. In the same region, attacks on energy infrastructure have left about 270,000 customers without water, approximately 85,000 without heat and 75,000 without electricity.
As of October, humanitarian organizations, including the UN, had provided assistance to 4.4 million people, according to OCHA. Humanitarian actors also deployed emergency teams to provide first aid to those affected by the recent attacks.
On Friday, a humanitarian convoy delivered seven metric tons of medicine, hygiene supplies and other essential items to a frontline community in Kherson. So far this year, OCHA and its partners have sent 29 humanitarian convoys to the region, reaching more than 30,000 residents.
Burundi sees worsening conditions as refugees influx
More than 84,000 people have crossed into Burundi from South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since the beginning of this month, raising the total number of Congolese refugees and asylum seekers in the country to more than 200,000.
Citing reports from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Dujarric said transit centers and informal sites hosting new arrivals have exceeded capacity, in some cases by more than 200 percent.
“Local resources, as you can imagine, have been overwhelmed,” he added.
Across the border, violence in South Kivu has forced more than 500,000 Congolese to flee their homes. Where access allows, the UN refugee agency and its partners continue to conduct protection monitoring and provide assistance.
UNHCR is seeking $47 million over the next four months to help 500,000 internally displaced people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and up to 166,000 refugees in Burundi, Rwanda and other neighboring countries where Congolese men, women and children have sought refuge.