Second UN Staff Member Dies in Houthi Custody in Yemen
Volker Turk and Antonio Guterres call for an urgent, independent inquiry into the death of Mohammad el-Shami, who was held since mid-2024.
By Isabella Kaur ·
A United Nations human rights officer died in Houthi detention in Yemen.
The organization announced on Saturday that Mohammad el-Shami, a staff member with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Yemen, passed away in custody. The UN noted that his family was informed of the death only recently, despite the event occurring more than a month prior.
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that the family deserves to know the truth about the circumstances. He demanded full transparency from the Houthi authorities. Turk also called for an urgent, independent, and thorough investigation into the incident.
El-Shami was among a group detained in June 2024. More than 60 individuals working for the UN and various non-governmental organizations were held at that time. The Houthis accused them of participating in an American-Israeli spy network. Turk expressed grave concern for the seven other OHCHR personnel who remain in Houthi custody alongside the late employee. He appealed for their immediate and unconditional release.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a separate statement on Saturday. He described the death as appalling. Guterres echoed Turk’s demands for a probe. He added that the UN is urgently seeking answers regarding the specific circumstances surrounding el-Shami’s death.
This is the second death of a UN staff member in Houthi detention. The previous incident involved a World Food Programme employee who died in February 2025. A total of 72 UN staffers and NGO workers, including el-Shami, have been detained by the group. The UN paused operations in parts of Houthi-held Yemen in February 2025 due to safety concerns for its employees.
The Houthi rebel group has previously displayed some detainees on television channels. They presented these individuals as collaborators with Western intelligence agencies and Israel. On October 6, the UN announced the release of a World Food Programme employee who had been arbitrarily detained by the Iran-backed group.
Source: Al Jazeera
